


Crossroads

by reversetheuniverse



Series: Entrada Apocalyptica [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: (lasts one chapter), Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - No Sburb Session, F/M, M/M, Underage Drinking, zombie apocalypse AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-12
Updated: 2015-02-21
Packaged: 2018-02-08 14:01:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 31
Words: 157,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1943856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reversetheuniverse/pseuds/reversetheuniverse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even when you're fighting off inhuman beings, even when you have to fend for yourself, or even if you're one of them yourself, you are absolutely certain of one thing during an apocalypse: no one wants to be alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Be Jade Harley.**

 

You take the dulled dagger out of its plastic sheath and scrape it across the edge of the rock strategically, as to sharpen it. You mindlessly forgot the sharpening block at home, and, at this point, you don't really mind that you did. As far as you're concerned, you've got two weapons, one melee and one range, and that will get you places this day and age. Once you've determined that it's sharp once again, you place it back in its sheath and put it in the right pocket of your khaki shorts. You instinctively touch your shoulder to make sure that your rifle still rests on it willingly. You know it's silly, but you can never be too sure. You don't know what you'd do without your rifle. You shudder to think of it.

You push through the brush of trees, knowing that they're more likely to stay out of forests. There wasn't much here for them, with the exception of wildlife. It was quieter, and that's not how the Flesh work. They like to congregate. You utter a small, hysterical chuckle, because even when people are dead, they don't like to be alone. You don't particularly like it, either, being alone, that is, but you weren't sure if you wanted to actively seek anyone out right now. Nine out of ten times they were turned, and turned people don't make good company.

You fiddle with the multicolored strings bound around your fingers, reminders, they are, most of a time now forgotten. You still remember some of them: green was usually meant for feeding the plants, navy was to go shopping for groceries, orange was . . . That was about where you drew the line with the strings. There's one that's tied around your thumb, however, and you know from the lack of dirt around the string that it's recent. You curse your mind for being so forgetful, that even you can't remember your own reminders. _Lime, lime, lime,_ you think to yourself, _What was that for?_

You perk up immediately when you hear the snap of a twig, and you don't turn around immediately, because you can already see the break in the trees leading you outside of the forest. Your pace quickens as your boots meet the fresh earth with a thud, pine straw and dirt flying behind you. You grab the rifle off your back when you realize the coast is clear ahead of you and you turn, jogging backwards, facing a pack of the Flesh. You inhale deeply and then breathe, your fingers tightening on the trigger and letting one fly with the familiar ringing cutting through the air.

 

**Dave Strider: Lay down some sick beats.**

 

If this were any other day, you would lay down some sick beats. If this were another time, you would gladly. If this were another world, you would be on top of that right now like a mother fucking cherry on a delicious scoop of ice cream. But you live in this world and there isn’t any fucking time to do that. All you need to do survive, that’s it. That’s all there is to do.

You pull out your Katana and study its edges, sliding your bony finger over the flat part of the blade. Your eyes focus in on the jaggedness cutting into the once pristine edges of the sword, having taken a toll finally from slicing through too many juggulars time and again. You sigh, wishing that you could fix it, but you know that it's impossible, and that all you brought with you was necessary for survival. Sharpening tools, unfortunately, were not.

A gunshot cuts across the air several yards away from you, out of the forest, and you feel a shiver run down the back of your spine. _It can’t possibly be one of them, can it? Oh god, please don’t let them be sentient right now. I have at least half of a fucking chance when they just walk around with no purpose,_ you think to yourself.

You contemplate for a moment going towards the shot, your feet moving quickly beneath you in response, until you halt, turning back to face your campsite. You know you shouldn't leave it behind, just in case she returns, but if the shot is her, if she maybe located a gun or something, you don't want to risk ignoring it. You place your katana back in its sheath settled on your back and begin lightly jogging. When you make it through the clearing, you spot a crowd of flesh, shots now ringing at a constant. You unsheathe your katana once again, running towards the commotion.

You swing your katana with the quick precision you've been taught years before, feeling the now natural slice of decapitated heads falling to the ground. You cut open the last one, its head plopping to the ground with a satisfying _thud_. You plant your katana in the dirt, balancing your weight on it, smirking at your recent conquest until your face is met with the mouth of a rifle.

"What the actual hell," you frown, brow raised. The rifle lowers and you're suddenly facing Lara Croft's dirt-smudged, spectacled, teenage doppelganger. She's about your age, you guess, with dirt-stained cheeks, once bronze complexion, pony-tailed onyx hair, and miraculous moss green eyes hidden behind rather large round glasses, ones that adolescents with no fashion sense whatsoever would wear. She somehow manages to make them suit her. You notice a cut on her lower lip, fresh, trickling with crimson.

"Sorry," she apologizes sheepishly, slinging her rifle back onto her shoulder. She rubs her mouth off with her forearm spreading the blood across her face. You roll your eyes.

"Here, let me just help you with that," you step forward towards her, reaching your thumb on your free hand out to her face.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she exclaims, stepping back.

"Rubbing the blood off your cheek, you idiot," you mutter, reaching out again with no avail. She steps back eyeing you cautiously.

"Leave it, it's fine," she protests. You grunt at her with slight frustration but give up anyway. Silence falls between the two of you, minds battling over who's turn it is to speak next. She eventually extends her hand out to you, a small, buck-toothed grin escaping her lips. "I'm Jade Harley, by the way." You stare at her hand blankly. You weren't really one for conventional meet and greets, and you weren't really going to change that regardless of the situation. She receives the message after thirty seconds, her hand falling to her side. She eyes you warily once again and you decide that maybe it would've been a better idea to comply. You shrug instead.

"Dave Strider," you tell her coolly. She raises a brow at you, this time.

"To cool for a handshake, I take it?" You give her a tiny smirk.

"Yup, that's me." You return your katana to its home and then place your hands in your pocket. You suddenly remember your prior engagement, glancing back over the forest. It suddenly occurs to you that you should maybe ask her about it. "Hey, have you seen anyone around that kind of looks like me?"

"Huh?" she furrows her brows quizzically.

"I misplaced my twin sister, Rose," you clarify.

"How do you misplace a person?" she asks.

"Well, we were running low on food, so it was her turn to go out. We decided that the city would probably be an ideal place to go, but she hasn't returned in two days now and it's starting to worry me." Her eyes widen in response.

"You sent her to the city? Are you insane?! That's where the mass of them go! For all we know, she could've . . . " She stops when she thinks she's being insensitive. "I'm so sorry, I'm not trying to be crass or anything."

"Nah, it's alright," you reassure her. "It's not like the thought hasn't crossed my mind already. I guess I better go check for her. It was nice meeting you." You perform a two-finger salute to her briefly before turning on heel to return to your previous campsite.

"Wait!" she calls out to you. You hear quickened footsteps slide across earth and turn to find her caught up to you. "Let me go with you. It's better you don't go out alone into the city." You cross your arms and look at her, already hinting at her ulterior motive. She lets out a huff before saying, "Alright, alright, I don't want to be alone anymore, okay? Is that so idiotic to say?" You thin your lips, realizing that you had been a little bit cold to her beforehand. She was just like anyone else surviving in the world now, including you: she had the fear of dying alone. You relax your shoulders, making your person a bit more inviting than before. ( _A bit._ )

"No, it's not idiotic, you're right. You can come." You hear her exhale with relief beside you as the two of you begin walking together, side by side back into the forest. "So, are you called Jade for ironic purposes or is that just your name?"

"I don't get it," she frowns, glancing over at you.

"You know, because your name is Jade and your eyes are also . . . jade?" She lets out a small chuckle and you berate yourself in your head at the stupid pun you allowed to escape your lips.

"Ha ha, no, that's just my name," she answers, her disposition changing to a much warmer, bubblier state. "Do they call you Strider because you like to take long strides?" she rebuts.

"Fair enough," you stick your hands back into your pocket. You return to your former campsite, your miniscule quantity of items still residing in their places. Rose took her backpack with her into the city, so you only had your personal belongings to take care of. You place the box of matches you left sitting out back into the bag along with your tarp and zip it up, slinging it on one shoulder. You do a quick once over of the place before abandoning it. "Alright, let's get ready to hit the motherfucking road."

 

**Jade: follow the strange boy.**

 

Dave Strider was an enigma bound in a veil of mystery. You couldn't quite figure it out. Sometimes he liked to be ice cool, his words stinging your skin like fallen icicles. Other times his words were warm and friendly, like the glow of the sun beating down on your skin. He confused you a lot and you weren't sure how you felt about that.

You pick absentmindedly at the strings on your hand again, switching between counting them and unraveling loose threads. You continue to silently sift through your mind because you have a tug at your gut telling you that the lime string is something of the utmost importance to you.

"What are those things for?" His voice cuts through your train of thought, bringing you back to the realm of reality. You look back up, meeting his gaze through his shades. You're not entirely sure, but you swear you've seen flashes of crimson behind them. It's not really the strangest thing about him, though. His natural vanilla blond hair falls atop his head messily and is coiffed in a perfect style, as if he could wake up looking like that every single day, even during an apocalypse. He has pale-as-snow skin to match, flecked delicately with a cluster of freckles. You feel your stomach do a little somersault and you cease thinking about it immediately.

"Oh, well, they're sort of . . . reminders, I guess. Of things I don't want to forget. Which reminds me, hold still." You grab him by the arm to halt him and then unravel a loose string hanging from his shirt.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're--" You stop him from further conversation by holding up your hand. He thins his lips then huffs a breath out through his nose, much like a bull might. You then look down at your left pinky and tie the red string around it tightly, making sure that it won't slip off. You almost swear you see a brush of pink trickle upon his face out of the corner of your eye when he realizes it, but you blame your imagination for getting the best of you. Cool kids like him would never admit to anything like that, let alone become subject to something like that. It was ridiculous to let the thought even cross your mind.

"There." You hold up your hands in front of him to showcase them all. He studies them for a brief second, before pointing to the one on your thumb.

"What's that one for?" You stare at it again, twisting your mouth to the side.

"I can't figure it out for the life of me. It's driving me barking mad--" You gasp when sudden epiphanization comes into your head. "I remember now!" You turn around to face the edge of the forest in the distance, and, touching your index finger and thumb together in an 'o' shape, you place it between your lips and blow. The whistle rings off into the distance and suddenly a hand is being cupped desperately around your face, holding you back.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?! Do you want to get us killed?!" Dave says in a harsh whisper. You retract his hand from your face and point forward, showing him your reason. You see him instinctively reach for his sword, but you push his hand gently down with yours, shaking your head _no_. A big white mass of fur approaches you, and you settle on your knees to greet it.

"Bec! I thought I had lost you! I'm so sorry, buddy," you greet him warmly, pressing your face into his fur. The dog is gigantic in proportion, physicality equal to that of a wolf. His fur is snowy white and billowy, however, much like an arctic fox.

"This fucking devilbeast is your _pet_?!" Dave exclaims. You look back at him, unamused.

"He's not a devilbeast, he's a dog. And yes, he is my pet. I thought I had lost him," you add. You hug him tighter against yourself, feeling the twinge of distress disappear from your body almost completely. He's the most comfort you've had in the last few weeks, one of the only things you have left to hold onto from your old life.

"Nice doggie," Dave reaches his hand out to pet Bec, but Bec snarls in return, snapping at him. "What the hell?!" You tug on Bec's collar.

"No! Bad Bec! Dave's a cool guy, you don't have to worry," you reassure him. He seems to understand you, ceasing the angry growling that had been bellowing from his belly, but still remains on guard for you. He's always been the best guard dog you could ever have. Dave pets him gently, making stiff, slow movements as he does so.

"So what does Bec stand for, anyhow?" he asks.

"Becquerel. It was a name my grandfather picked out, to be honest. Bec is just easier to say," you explain.

"Yeah, it's a hell of a long name, that's for sure," he comments, refraining anymore contact with Bec in order to return his hands to his pockets. "We'd better get going. It's going to be a long walk from here." You look up at the sky, spotting the position of the sun, realizing he's right. Within a few hours it's going to be dark and you'll have to stop to camp out in order to avoid any surprise zombie attacks. It's best to get plenty of footing while you can. You follow alongside Dave, with Bec dutifully trailing behind you.

 

**Rose Lalonde: Seek shelter.**

 

Normally, you wouldn't condone scattering down dark alleyways in order to get places, but it seems like your only option right now. It helps that the Flesh only like to be out in open areas, where the light touches the ground. No matter how inhuman they've become, even they need to see still. You rest yourself against the damp brick wall in front of you, pulling your water bottle out to hydrate yourself. You only take two, small sips, rationing it out accordingly. You're already running low and it certainly doesn't help that you're rushing about so much. You place the water bottle back into your backpack and sling it on your right shoulder, wiping a bead of sweat from your forehead afterward. You sigh.

Your mind wanders to Dave once again, a thought that crops up almost every hour. You'd like to hope that he's worried about you being gone so long that he's come to find you, but at the same time you hope he doesn't care one bit. If you get taken down, he'd only fall with you. You wouldn't wish that on him, not for one moment. You also hope that he doesn't think it's his fault. He couldn't have possibly known that the city was a dangerous place to be. And you were the one who volunteered herself to go get supplies for the two of you. If anyone should be beating themselves up, it should be you. And wouldn't you know it, that wish has already been fulfilled. The world can once again be happy knowing that it still can claim Rose Lalonde as a victim to its complete and utter bullshit. Hooray for Mother Earth.

You get yourself up off of the wall and get ready to find a way to climb up. You're lucky this time, with a ladder hovering only a few feet above your head. You jump to grab it, pulling the metal down as far as it can reach. You carefully climb the rungs, making sure to make as little sound as possible on the way up. You still manage to create a few barely noticeable _chinks_ on the way up, but nothing from the epicenter takes notice.

When you get to the top you notice that the ladder all the way up is non-existent, as if someone took it out on purpose. You stand, facing a glass door leading into a seemingly empty home. You jiggle the handle, only to find it bolted shut. You reach into your backpack and find your tool kit, finding a flathead screwdriver and an unraveled paperclip, slipping the paperclip into the lock like you've practiced so many times before. You guide the paperclip through with the flathead, moving it through each notch with precision. A satisfying _click_ signals that you're in. You remove the paperclip and place the screwdriver and paperclip back into your tool kit and into the bookbag, slipping soundlessly inside the house.

The place is seemingly left untouched, not having been ransacked by any people before it. You check the front door to find it locked tight. No single person has been in and out of this house yet. You exhale a long breath of relief, plopping down on the couch and sinking into cushions, feeling relief for the first time in three days. You dare to close your eyes, just for a minute, only for a minute . . .

"Who the heck are you?!" You gasp and scramble to your feet, your switchblade out within a matter of seconds. "Whoa, there, I'm friendly! I promise!" Your eyes scan over the boy in front of you, clad in a matching set of azure pajamas. His hair is a dark, chaotic array on the top of his head, and his smile equally goofy with protruding buck teeth. His cyan eyes are hidden behind a pair of rectangular spectacles that hang on the bridge of his nose. He's awfully lanky and you can only guess him to be right around your age, about sixteen or seventeen. You close the switchblade and put it back into your pocket.

"I'm sorry, I thought this apartment was abandoned," you say sheepishly, questioning to yourself why you'd need to even ponder breaking and entering admidst an apocalypse.

"It's okay, I understand. How'd you get in, anyway?" he raises his brows. You point to the glass door.

"I ascended up the ladder and picked the lock," you shrug. He runs his fingers through his hair, looking at the ground as if contemplating something.

"Wow, that's pretty . . . nifty of you," he manages. He then turns to go to the glass door, opening it and stepping outside for a moment. You hear a distant _clank_ and then he returns, sliding the glass door back into place and latching it. He pulls the curtains closed and then appears in front of you again. "Sorry, I had to bring the ladder back up. I don't think they could manage to climb up ladders, but you never know . . . "

"So have you just been living here then?" you ask him.

"Uh, yeah. Ever since it all started happening, I just stocked up stuff and shut myself in here," he tells you.

"It's just you here?" His gaze finds the floor once again, this time a wistful look manifesting in those mellow, cyan eyes.

"It was me, my sister, and my parents, but they--" You hold up your hand to halt him from proceeding any further.

"Say no more. I know exactly how you feel. I'm lucky that I still have my twin brother, however," you say.

"Where is he, then? I wouldn't suppose you would separate yourself from him willingly?" He takes a seat on the couch, patting beside him for you to sit down. You place yourself in it more gracefully this time, resting your hands on your lap.

"I came into the city to get supplies for us three days ago. We didn't know it would be so . . . "

"Crowded?" he answers.

"Infested would be a better term for words," you finish. "I've been shelter-hopping for the last three days trying to find at least something to bring back, but everytime I've stopped there's only been enough to supply myself for one day." He twists his mouth to the side.

"Oh, I'm sure I could provide you with a little something," he offers. Your face lights up immediately.

"Really? I would be so grateful." He holds his hand up.

"It's not a problem, really. I've got plenty around here, trust me." You let out a yawn at that moment, realizing that sleep is finally catching up to you, tugging on your sleeve as if it were a toddler asking its mother for food. The boy rises and you follow suit, slinging your backpack over your shoulder. He turns to you, extending his hand. "By the way, I'm John Egbert. I don't think I caught your name before, Miss . . . ?" You shake his hand firmly.

"Lalonde. Rose Lalonde," you introduce yourself politely.

"Well, Rose, if you want to, I can let you stay here for the night. I've got a few rooms to spare, that's for sure," he says lightheartedly, but you still feel the fresh sting of the words in his voice.

"If it's not too much trouble at all," you smile softly.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all! I'll show you the way." He leads you into a hall to the side, four doors apparent to your view. He shows you to the one marked, 'Jane', across it. "Here, you can sleep in this one. Help yourself to any clothes or shoes you might need. I think the stuff would probably fit you, if not a couple of t-shirts."

You feel guilty sleeping in his late sister's room, but he waves goodnight to you, and a yawn creeps its way into your system once again, gently pushing you to sleep. You enter the room and make your way to the bed, not even bothering to change clothes or to crawl underneath the sheets, shutting your eyes and smiling, finally getting your first real sleep in weeks.

 

**Rose: Be the cool kid.**

 

"Remind me again how you just know how to make a fire without matches?" You study Jade carefully as she tends the fire, poking at it with a stick.

"Uh, well, I was in girl scouts for a really long, long time . . . " You can see her cheeks rising red with embarrassment as she continues eye contact with the fire in front of her. As soon as the sky had shown signs of getting darker, the two of you (along with the devilbeast) stopped in the forest for the night, finding a secluded area to set up camp.

"No, I think it's cool. I mean, hell, I have to carry around a box of matches in order to light a fire. As soon as they're out, I'm fucked," you reassure her. Her green eyes light up, finally catching your gaze.

"You really think it's cool?" You offer her a small nod of the head and she claps her hands excitedly for a moment, bouncing up and down with joy. "I can show you how to make a fire, if you want," she adds.

"Yeah, that'd be pretty sweet." She sends you a goofy, buck-toothed smile, as if she was suspecting that you might decline her offer from before. She returns to the fire for a moment, prodding it with the stick once again before rising up from the ground, grabbing her rifle and bag, and taking a seat next to you.

"Alright, what sort of food do you have? It's dinner time and I'd like to see our varitable amount of options," she says, unzipping her bag in front of her.

"I only have a can of corn left over, if that counts for an option," you tell her, reaching into your bag to show her the lone can of yellow corn.

"It's an option, don't worry," she grins, dimples peeking out at the sides of her mouth. She digs out all the food she can find: three cans of green beans, two large bottles of water, half of a bag of white bread, a few assorted fruits, and a box of apple juice.

"Holy motherfucking shit, you have apple juice?!" your eyes widen behind your shades.

"Yeah, it's my last box, though." She peers up at you, raising her brow when she notices the sincerness blatant upon your face. "Take it, it's yours," she hands you to you, corners of her mouth tugging upward.

"No, man, that's like--"

"Dave, just take the juice box. Really, it's no trouble." You take it from her hand gingerly, feeling the weight of the box in your hand. To you, now, apple juice is a luxury item. Most food was, now, but apple juice took the cake for being at the top of your list. You can't remember the last time you had some, and you even contemplate placing it in your bag to save it for a later time. You refrain from doing so, however, and just remove the straw from its plastic binding instead, sticking it in the box. You take a sip from it and feel the cool liquid slide down the back of your throat with ultimate satisfaction. You ponder for a moment before thrusting the box over towards Jade.

"Do you want a sip?" The words tumble out of your mouth a little bit fast but she beams regardless, retrieving the box from your hand and stealing a small swig of the saccharine, yellow substance.

"Refreshing," she nods, handing it back to you. Her fingertips brush against your hand briefly, cool and callous to the touch. It sends a tiny shiver down your back, but you repress it, inhaling the rest of the juice by yourself. You glance over at Jade when you're done and see her divvying up the bag of bread. She retracts four pieces from the bag and rests them on her knee, tossing the rest in the plastic bag over to you.

"We need to eat this stuff before it goes." You watch as she tosses a couple of pieces over to her dog and he snaps at them, swallowing them within seconds. She saves the rest for herself, only nibbling at the bread as if to savor it. You remove a slice from the bag and devour it within seconds, much like the dog, realizing that you were hungrier than you thought. The other three pieces disappear in about the same amount of time, and while your stomach grumbles and begs for more, you tell it no, a technique you've become all too familiar with.

You hear Jade yawn beside you and you pull the tarp out of your bookbag and toss it at her. She gives you a puzzled look, and you hold up your hand. "It's to sleep on. I know it's not the most comfortable thing in the world, but it'll do its job," you explain. "Rose and I usually sleep in shifts, so I'll take the first one and you can take the second one, if that's alright." She nods and stands up, unfolding the tarp in order to place it on the ground. She gently nudges you with her hand, telling you to move out of the way. You do so, watching as she spreads it on the ground. She sits on top of it and then whistles softly, beckoning her dog to her side. He sits at the head of the tarp and you speculate that he must be used to her using him as a pillow to sleep on. She lays her head into his billowy fur and then looks over at you, patting the open spot next to her.

"Sit here." It isn't so much of a suggestion than an order, but you oblige, taking a seat right next to her, crossing your legs when you sit down. She takes her glasses off and sets them beside her carefully before nestling herself comfortably into the makeshift bed and closing her eyes shut. You stare at the fire in silence, alone with nothing but your thoughts. You jolt up when you feel something cool slide beneath your hand but notice a moment later that it's only Jade's hand. You allow her to intertwine her fingers with yours, realizing that she's only doing so for comfort. Your brain also entertains the thought that Rose would have a heyday if she saw you right now, but you ignore it. You're absolutely calm right now.

 

It doesn't bother you. Nope. Not at all. Not even a bit.

 

Your mind nags at you again with the thought of Rose, and you can only feel the wave of worry tug at your gut. You're almost certain you would know if something had happened to her, perhaps a snag at your possible twin telepathic connection as if a phone wire had been cut and only the sounds of a dial tone could be heard. Part of you thinks that's not true and that there's a strong possibility you might not ever see her again, that you'll have no way of knowing whether she's alive or dead.

You kick yourself mentally for letting her go alone. You should've known that the city would be chockablock with the turned. You should have known that separating from each other was a bad idea. Most importantly, it should've been you.

 

_It should've been me._

 

You sigh and stare upward at the clear night sky, thinking to yourself that it's going to be a long night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Dave: Be Rose.**

John whistles happily as he places a plate of eggs sunnyside up in front of you ( _Where the hell did he get eggs this fresh from?_ ) and sits across from you at the table, cheerfully digging into to his scramble of eggs. You are flabbergasted by the absolute normality and naievty act that he puts on, as if he's been moved to complete and utter denial of the world around him. You almost can't blame him for it, since he basically has all he needs right in his little secluded home. You also feel a pang of hurt for him when you think of how he'll act when he finally runs low on supplies: he'll be alone with nothing to comfort him. He'll have absolutely nothing.

"Rose, are you going to eat your food?" His voice breaks you from your trance and you only nod your head in response, slicing into the eggs in front of you. You savor the flavor of eggs, something now considered a delicacy to you. You'd never liked eggs that much before, only going as far as tolerating them in the least, but as they settle in your stomach you can only feel the warmth and rush of memories of home-cooked breakfasts on Sunday mornings. You find yourself devouring the plateful soon after, leaving no trace of evidence that they were even there in the first place.

"Wow, you finished those quickly," John remarks with a small, breathy chuckle afterward, rising from his place to collect the plate from you.

"Yeah, well, it's not like I've been receiving a shipment of fresh eggs daily," the riposte tumbles off your tongue without prior thought, diarrhea of the mouth. John glances over at you from the kitchen, befuddlement upon his face.

"Sorry," you apologize sheepishly, "Snarky quips are a seemingly inherited trait in my family. It just sort of . . . happens naturally." He nods, as if understanding exactly what you mean, returning to sorting the plates into the dishwasher.

You glance over your shoulder, taking a peek at the curtains and noticing beams of sunlight sneaking out from underneath. You grimace when you realize how much time you've been wasting fooling around having a good meal like you aren't in the middle of an apocalypse. You raise immediately, pushing up the sleeves of the sweater you had taken from Jane's room.

"Listen, John, it's been great and all, but I must depart forthwith," your forehead creases with urgency.

"Oh, yeah," he frowns, a hint of disappointment dripping through his voice. You make a full turn counterclockwise toward the room you resided in for the night in order to retrieve your items, but you hesitate for a moment, contemplating your next course of action. An idea creeps into your mind, a terribly imbecilic idea, but you entertain the thought otherwise. You inhale a deep breath and then shift towards John's gaze.

"John, you should come with me." His mouth drops with shock at your words, and you almost mirror him, feeling reciprocated feelings. You really were downright stupid, weren't you? His mouth stays open for a moment, seemingly at a loss for words. "John, shut your mouth. You don't want flies to make a home there, do you?" you instruct him in a maternal fashion. He obliges and closes his mouth, bewilderment still apparent upon his expression. You cross your arms and await a response.

"Uhhhh," he finally manages, "I don't know. Doesn't that sound kind of stupid?" You shrug.

"Well, I figure that it's most likely cretinous that we can't just face death our selves and insist on living in a hell-bent world, but I do it regardless," you retort. His expression changes to a face lost in thought now.

"Why, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I figure you have two options at this point: stay holed up here in your apartment, living alone off supplies until you run out, forcing you back into the world where practically no one unturned is, or you come with me now and help me find my brother, having companionship and a somewhat constant small supply of items for as long as possible," you explain. "Oh, and I'd really appreciate not being on the streets alone, especially if something has happened to my brother." John doesn't face your gaze for a moment, his eyes focused on the counter in front of him, but his head slowly raises and the words finally emerge.

"I'll go."

**Rose: Be Jade.**

The melodious sound of birds chirping sifts through your ears and rustles you awake from your deep slumber. You feel pleasantly rested, and you attempt to stretch your arms out in front of you before opening your eyes to the world. You inhale deeply, a smile stretching across your face and then pull your eyelids upward cheerfully.

It takes you only a minute to realize what is wrong with the picture of sun pouring through the trees and the sounds of birds chirping, and your eyes widen: you should've been up hours ago to take the second watch. You realize next that your headrest is no longer the furry mound you're accustomed to, and that it is instead replaced with a living human being. You don't dare move, suddenly paralyzed with embarrassment, the heat rising to your cheeks quickly like a thermometer in the hot, Dallas weather. Dave stirs beneath you and you take the opportunity to stealthily inch away, hoping he's not at the level of awareness you're at yet. You sit up quickly onto your hands as he stretches, yawning as his eyes flicker open. Although your vision is slightly blurry, you take notice that he isn't wearing his shades, and you take even more notice of the color of his eyes: crimson.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" he says through a yawn. You keep your lips thin, not a word uttering through your mouth. He sits up, his brow raised. "You gonna talk or did you suddenly lose your voice overnight?"

"Uh, glasses please," you manage, extending your hand out to him. He lazily reaches to the side of him and grabs your glasses, placing them gently in your grasp. You place them on your face, the world becoming clear once again. You turn back to face him and see that his shades are upon his face again. He remains stoic in nature.

"So, you forgot to wake me up?" you utter once you have his attention. He shrugs.

"Sorry. I must've fallen asleep." _Yeah, on me,_ you think to yourself, but don't say it out loud. "I guess it's time to eat breakfast then hit the road? I was thinking a nice dish of eggs florentine, a side of assorted fruits, and an english muffin slightly toasted would suit the occasion." You hear his slick sarcasm ooze out of his mouth like thick syrup and you figure it's second nature to him. You find your bookbag and dig through its contents, pulling something out.

"How about a nice dish of beans imported from-" you check the information on the can and continue, "Massachusetts?"

"Wow, you really know how to treat a guy," he pretends to swoon. You roll your eyes and retrieve the can opener from your bag, cracking open the sealed piece of tin. You grab two spoons from your bag and hand him one.

" Bon appétit!" you exclaim, dipping your spoon into the can and taking a bite of not-so-baked beans. The food slides down your throat unpleasantly, but you accept it anyway. It could be worse, after all. You hand him the can and he takes a scoop of beans, placing it into his mouth. He hands you back the can.

"You know, in America, we don't say 'I love you', but instead we hand each other cans of outdated beans and I think that's really beautiful." You snort, almost choking on your second bite of the beans.

"Stop, you're gonna make me choke!" He swipes the can from you.

"Correction: In America, instead of saying, 'I love you', we make people choke on beans and I think that's beautiful." He eats a few mouthfuls of beans through your fit of laughter you break into.

"Hey! Stop hogging all the beans!" You attempt to snatch them from him but he only pushes your face away, keeping the can far out of your reach. You relent and instead cross your arms and pout.

"Fine, then." You pause a moment before shouting, "BEEEEEEEEEEEC!!!" Immediately Bec is at your side, growling ferociously at Dave.

"Okay, okay!" he surrenders the beans to you. Bec continues growling at him and you place a hand on his back to cease it. He sits down next to you, still wary of the scrawny, pale boy in front of you. "You know, I was just joking. You realize your dog could've fucking killed me? It would've been all shark week up in this place. Forget about fucking zombies ending my life, instead I'll be killed by a big, fluffy terror-machine. I swear, for a moment I saw all seventeen years flash before my eyes, and those two minutes were the saddest, most uneventful moments to ever take place in my life ever. I'll get up to heaven and God will be all, "Dave, how did you get up here so early?", and I'll say, "Well, God, I could've gone out in a cool and badass way like most of these people here slicing up zombies left and right until one tragically and ironically bites me, but no, I got killed by a big, fluffy snowball instead!" Lemme tell you, that is not my plan," Dave rambles. You reach over and punch him in the arm playfully.

"Oh, quit being such a baby. Bec's not a killer. Are you, buddy?" Bec wags his tail at you joyfully as you scratch behind his ears, contentment upon his face. You make babying noises at him, cooing at him until Dave cuts in.

"Honestly, that is the grossest thing I've ever seen get done, and _believe me_ , I've diced up my fair share of zombies." You shake your head.

"What, you're not a dog person?"

"Oh, no, I am a dog person. What I'm not a fan of are fucking devilbeasts that keep trying to eat me whole." You make a small _tsk_ noise with your mouth and observe as he rises from his spot, dusting off his pants. "Well, Sunshine? It's time to get the motherfucking show on the road." You follow his suit and rise, gathering your bearings all around you. He swipes the tarp from underneath you and packs it away safely into his bag. You grab your bag and secure it onto your back, then collect your rifle and place it on its normal resting spot.

"Got everything?" you ask. Dave studies the campsite.

"We are a go." After consulting your compass you head due north, the direction that Dave says he sent his sister in. He leads your little band of misfits in the journey toward un-civilization, and you follow him from behind like a dog on a leash might. You instinctively look around at all the plants as you pass by, the names flowing through your head like a natural spring. _Pteridophyta. Lonicera periclymenum. Quercus._

"You okay back there? You're awfully quiet," Dave's voice snakes its way into your subconscious. You jerk your head back in front of you.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," you respond lazily. "Sorry, I was just looking at all the different species of flora."

"Another girl scout thing?" he asks.

"No, actually! Horticulture is just one of my hobbies. Plants are just really fascinating to me," you explain, bubbling a bit. "My grandpa kind of got me started on it when I was younger. Now, I won't say that it didn't hurt to have such a vast knowledge of plants when I did go into girl scouts when I was eight . . . " you trail. A small, almost inaudible chuckle escapes his lips.

A sudden burst of sunlight catches your attention ahead of you, and you realize that you've made it out of the forest to actual road. You, Dave, and Bec stop right at the edge, taking notice of it.

Cars are strewn about the highway, abandoned, dilapidated. You can only guess that most of them have been there at least a month. No zombies are to be found, so the three of you step cautiously onto the asphalt. You look up at one of the signs along the highway to see what it says: _Dallas, City Limits._

"Well, looks like we've got a bit of a ways to go and then we'll be in the city. You get your gun ready. We need to be armed at all times through here." His head shifts over towards your dog. "You might want to leave him behind. We won't be able to watch him through here and he'd be much safer on his own at the edge of the forest." You frown.

"I can't leave Bec alone! I just found him," you whine. Dave raises his brow.

"Look, Jade, I'm not gonna be the one to tell you what to do with your own pet, but if you want to try and at least survive, then I suggest you leave him behind. You won't be able to focus if something happens to him." As much as you don't want to admit it, Dave is being one hundred percent sensible right now. He was right; you had no chance if Bec didn't make it through the city. You'd be a goner for sure, and that certainly wasn't fair to Dave. You said you'd help him, and you'd be absolutely useless if Bec . . . You don't want to think about that. You sigh and turn around to Bec.

"Okay, Bec, you're gonna have to stay, alright, boy?" Bec cocks his head at you with confusion. You point to the forest. "Stay, boy." He nudges your hand with his nose and slides underneath it in order for you to pet him. You wrap your arms around him and bury your face into his fur, closing your eyes and saving the moment in your memory, just in case it would be the last one, for both of you. You let him go and pat his head once more. "Good dog. Best friend." You then point to the forest and Bec acquiesces, disappearing into the trees. You feel something wet on your cheek and you turn towards Dave.

"Come on. Let's go."

**Jade: Be the goofy kid.**

You are now the goofy kid with the glasses, flipping the fuck out over what you just said. You just told this girl standing in front of you, whom you've barely even known for twenty or so hours, that you'd leave the comfort and safety of your home for absolutely no reason what-so-fucking-ever. You're really convinced that you didn't just go off the deep end, you pirouetted and chasséd off into the black pit of hell that never terminates. In layman's terms, you were a fucking idiot.

You stuff anything you think is necessary into your bag. _Chips? Yeah, I definitely need a stapler. I guess I should throw a water bottle in there . . . Definitely my lightsaber. . . A baseball . . . A hammer would probably be useful . . ._

"John, are you almost finished packing?" You jerk up when you notice Rose is talking to you.

"Uh, yeah, almost done!" you shout back to her.

"Remember, you only need to pack the essentials!" You look back at your bag and realize that perhaps some of those items aren't needed. You remove the stapler, lightsaber, and baseball out of your bag and onto your bed. You keep the hammer because, who knows, maybe you'll need it. You find a couple of short-sleeve and long-sleeve tee shirts to throw into your bag along with another few essentials. You grab a few things from your bathroom and then return to the living room where Rose is waiting.

"I picked stuff out of your pantry that were useable for food rations. This is what you'll have to take." She points to the piles of cans on the coffee table and you pick them up, placing them in your bag and then zipping them up. "I also grabbed as many bottles of water as possible, a pot, and a plastic container. I think we'll have everything we need, at least for a little while. Do you think you're ready to go?" You frown with uncertainty and peer around your house, trying desperately to remember everything in there. You don't want to let it go, but something in your gut tells you that this is the best thing to do right now. You have to leave. You pull the bag over your shoulders securely and turn back towards Rose.

"I'm ready." The two of you exit out of the back door whence Rose came through. You make sure you lock the door, just in case you return in the nearby future, and then follow Rose in scaling down the metal ladder onto the dark asphalt below.

Your feet land with a harsh _thud_ and Rose assists you in pushing the ladder back up in order to hide it. You dust off your hands once it's done and then begin walking beside Rose.

"Alright, once we're out there, there's no talking, got it? Not a single word can emerge from your mouth, nor a sneeze, cough, hiccup, whatever. They will respond to it very quickly and will rush over in a matter of seconds. We must be on constant vigilance at all times and be readily armed. Do you have a weapon?"

 _Shit_. In your stupor you had forgotten to even check your house for a weapon, which could possibly be on of the stupidest things you'd ever do during a zombie apocalypse, but an idea formulates in your mind and you throw your bookbag on the ground, sifting through the items. You manifest the hammer and hold it in the air.

"Yup! I'm ready and armed!" Rose has a look branded upon her face of a mix of bewilderment and unamusement.

"Let me get this straight: your weapon . . . is a _hammer_?" she asks.

"Yeah!" She lets out an elongated sigh.

"Well, I hope you like hammers."

"What kind of weapon do you have, then, if you don't mind me asking?" An ominous look is cast upon her face and it gives you the heebie-jeebies.

"I have an arsenal of assorted kitchen knives. They suit me nicely." You feel your throat run dry and remind yourself to never cross her the wrong way.

"Uh, so I guess we'll get going then, eh?" you ask nervously, zipping your bag back up and slinging it on your shoulder. She nods her head.

"Yup. Time to face the zombie armada." You toy with the hammer in your hands anxiously. She places her hand gently onto your shoulder. "We'll be fine, John. Just remember: constant vigilance, a cool head, and don't look back once." Your eyes meet her almost vivid violet ones and an expression of agreement is passed between the two of you.

"Alright, John. Time to kick some zombie ass."

**John: Be Dave.**

You reach the inner city by foot not too long after, sweat breaking from your forehead due to the humid and stale Texas air. You and Jade are still able to keep a steady pace regardless of the heat, and you're glad for that. You don't think you could've put up with some lagging kid tailing you. It'd take too much work to watch the little bastard.

Your katana now rests in your hands at the ready, and Jade does the same with her rifle. You knew that once you got into the inner city that shit would really hit the metaphorical fan big time, so you kept a steady watch all around. At the moment, all that could be heard was absolute silence. It itched at your skin how eerily quiet it was, and you almost wish you heard a sound go off to cut the tension. You also take notice of how enormous the city really is and it irritates you.

"God fucking damnit," you curse, "This city is so fucking huge I wouldn't know where to start." Jade gives you a side glance.

"I'm sure that if she's smart enough, she probably didn't push too far into the city. I'm positive you'll find her." Jade's words give you some sort of solace and you relax a bit. The reason why you'd like to turn around is because if there is a chance that Rose didn't make it out alive, then all of your trekking would be for nothing and most likely get you killed anyway. You guess you'd feel pretty bad for stringing Jade along, as well.

The two of you keep yourselves guarded as the home stretch towards the city becomes smaller and smaller. Not a word is uttered between you and her, and you hate that you can't keep it that way. When you're nervous, you get chatty real fast and the words just seem to ramble away from your tongue out into the open.

"So . . . uh," you begin, trying to search for a topic of discussion, "What was your grandpa like?" She raises her brow with slight confusion apparent on her face from the sudden interjection with the topic of her deceased grandpa, but she responds to you, nevertheless.

" . . . A lot like me, actually," she finds the words. "I looked up to him, you know? I mean, yeah, he was my grandfather and guardian and we're related, but it never seemed like just that. He was my best friend; taught me all the things I know today. He helped me become the sharpshooter that I am, but I'm nowhere near as fast as he was. He lined shelves upon shelves with trophies that he collected from winning contests and such.

"One thing that my grandpa loved more than anything, however, was traveling. He told me on numerous occasions that he planned to visit each and every country there was and collect one item while he was there. He had a closet dedicated to all these trinkets and gizmos that he'd salvaged while on vacation. It's funny, he was just about to complete that goal before . . . " She looks wistfully off to the side and you feel a pang of guilt for bringing him up. You should've known yourself; the pain was too fresh, the laceration still split open. It was a lot like pouring lemon juice on an open wound.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to--" you attempt to apologize, but she holds up a hand and you're greeted by a warm, soft smile.

"It's fine, Dave. I'd like to try and remember him as much as possible. He was a great man who deserved more than fate had to offer him. It's just a damn shame that his time came a lot sooner than he planned." You give her a poor man's attempt at a smile and then return your gaze to the city in front of you. You halt immediately when you finally realize the direness of the situation you threw Rose into. The only words to describe it are: _holy shit I cannot even begin to believe the shit that is about to go down here._

Gathered in masses are the Flesh, some dispersed among the streets wandering aimlessly, the rest grouped together feasting on old scraps and carcasses. The thought of it churns your stomach, bile rising in your throat. You hold it down, trying desperately to relax yourself. _This is no time to go awol, Strider. Play it cool._

You glance over at Jade, her physique much like yours. You can tell she's tensed up, the putrid smell rotting flesh easing its way into her sinuses. You return your gaze in front of you, remaining constantly vigilant. The feeling of something squishing underneath your foot distracts you, and you look to the ground, horror apparent upon your face. You've successfully managed to step in entrails.

You bite your lip so hard it starts bleeding while Jade places a reassuring hand on your bicep to try and calm you down. You try to remain cool, but you're screaming internally. You can't name a single person who wouldn't react the way you are, because it is about the most, goddamned, _disgusting_ thing you've ever experienced in your life. You slowly move your foot away from the decay, silently scraping it on unstained asphalt.

"Are you okay?" Jade whispers. You turn to meet her slowly, gritting your teeth.

"Absolutely _not_ ," you reply in a harsh whisper. She gives you a sympathetic look and you brush her off, taking a moment to turn around and arch your back, resting your hands on your knees. You dry heave for a minute or so, your stomach desperately trying to expel what little you have with no avail. When you've settled, you stand back up again, inhaling a large breath in order to gather your bearings. That's when a terrible, horrible, _horrendous_ idea formulates in your mind, an idea that can only be discovered after viewing dozens of shitty zombie movies and shows. You turn to Jade.

"We've gotta smear it on us." Her expression turns from sympathetic to alarmed in a matter of seconds.

"We are _not_ rubbing that-- _stuff_ \--on our bodies! Are you trying to make me puke my guts out?!" she raises her voice slightly.

"Listen, Jade, the only way we have even a _possibility_ of getting out is if we do this. It'll cloak our scent for a while, make them think we're one of them. I mean, you've seen movies before, right?" She glares at you.

"This is not a movie, Dave! This is real life! And in real life we don't go on stupid, suicide missions like this!" You raise your brow at her.

"Jade, just think about it. We mask our scent, we get through, we _find my sister_ ," you emphasize, "And then we get the hell out of here, simple as that." She continues to look at you with a look of befuddlement upon her face, but she sighs, crouching down on the ground and rubbing the blood and guts from the decayed flesh on her skin.

" _This better fucking work, Strider,_ " she mutters under her breath. You join her, dipping your hand into guts and wiping it on your skin and clothes. The two of you make sure you're covered from head to toe in entrails before continuing your trek into the city.

You walk side-by-side with Jade, shoulders touching. Your sword was returned to its sheath and her rifle to her shoulder as you carefully straggle your way inside the city. You eye the Flesh all around you, who have seemingly made no notice of you yet. You continue walking quietly, neither of you daring to let a single word escape your lips. You spot a couple of them sniff at the air around you, only to return to what they were doing before, ignoring you completely. You only rest when you've reached a deserted area of the town, the Flesh long gone behind you. Your muscles relax instantly and break from your rigid position by Jade's side, exhaling a breath of relief.

"You know, that was actually pretty genius, Dave!" Jade compliments you. You grin, delighted at your accomplishment. _If only Rose could see me now_.

"You're damn right." She rolls her eyes at you and giggles, her toothy smile poking out of her lips.

"Now don't--" she begins, but she deadpans suddenly, turning to look down the street in front of you. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" you ask, bemused.

"I heard something faint down that way. We should go check it out," she insists.

"I dunno . . . " you begin, but you begin sprinting when you realize she has already taken off down the street. "Wait a minute! Jade, slow the fuck down!" you call out to her. She finally halts, staring at a group of zombies huddled together. You almost tell Jade that the two of you should just leave whatever it is alone, but you glance over at Jade to see her pointing at the group. You turn your sights to see a bob of familiar blonde hair in the crowd. You feel a lump rise in your throat as you draw out your sword instinctively, running off into the crowd.

"Shit." You feel adrenaline pumping into your system as heads are being sliced without nary a thought from you. You don't even realize that Jade had joined in, neither do you realize that you blacked out for five minutes afterward. You're brought back by the lull of a voice calling out to you, similar to that of a siren.

" _Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaave,_ " the voice calls out to you, " _You need to get up_." Your head is throbbing, but you manage to open your eyes, vision blurry at first. You're able to make out three figures standing over you, the closest one of which the siren voice belongs to. "There you are."

"Ugggh, what the fuck happened," you clutch at your head, rising up from the ground. Your vision begins refocusing, Rose finally coming into clear view. She helps ease you up from the ground.

"You were slicing up zombies when _someone_ backhanded you with a hammer," she replies, a slight hint of annoyance slipping through her tone.

"I said I was sorry like ten times or so!" an unfamiliar, nerdy voice whines from the side. You turn to face him, astonished at the great resemblance he has to Jade.

"Who are you?" you ask. You pause a moment, something nagging you at the back of the head. You seemed to be all in place except . . . except that your sunglasses were _missing_. "Where the fuck did my shades go?!" you exclaim.

"Uhhh, which question do you want me to answer?" the dorky, Jade look-alike inquires.

"Both!"

"Well, I'm John Egbert and you might've sort of . . . _broken your shades when you fell,_ " he mumbles, the last few words smaller and melding together.

"What?!" you shout at him, rising from the ground, preparing to throttle him. "Those were my favorite pair!" He holds up his hands in surrender.

"Wait, wait, wait," he babbles nervously, "I think I've . . . " He stumbles to grab his backpack from his back, shuffling through the items quickly. He materializes another pair of black aviators, nowhere near as cool as the ones you had before, but a good enough duplicate to suit you for the moment. You swipe them from his hand ferociously and place them on your face, relief washing over you.

"Okay, now that we've gotten _that_ out of the way, I've got another question: why the fuck do you two look alike? And you never really answered the question of who you are!" you point to him and Jade. Jade takes the wheel this time.

"He's my cousin and he's the one who's been helping Rose get back to you." Your jaw drops agape and you find yourself absolutely dumbfounded.

"So let me get this straight: while trying to find my sister, I meet Jade, who happens to be the cousin of the guy who is helping my sister find me?!" John shrugs.

"That's pretty much it." You begin shaking him.

"What the actual fuck is going on here?!" Rose forcefully removes you from him, bringing you to the side to talk to you.

"Dave, please take a moment to breathe. You're under a lot of high stress right now and you might have a possible concussion." You attempt to interject but she places a hand upon your mouth. "Ah, ah, ah, no talking. Do as I say and relax. Take some deep breaths if you have to." She removes her hand from your mouth and you do as she says, evening your breaths to bring you out of a state of panic. After several minutes, you find yourself settled once again, your thoughts slowed down and the adrenaline intake cut off. You turn to your sister.

"Rose, I know this is gonna sound stupid, but you just have to answer this question for me. We're not dead, are we?" She shakes her head.

"No, we're not. It's a damn shame, though. I really thought there'd be zombies in heaven, too." Her sarcasm sends a wave of relief through your system, the familiarity of it a calming agent. It was nice having her back near you.

"I missed you Rose." Her violet eyes soften as her mouth forms a small grin. She opens her arms to offer you a warm embrace, something you accept without hesitation. Having Rose back made you less on edge, for sure, double points since she was back alive, as well. You break a moment later and return to Jade and John who seem to be in deep conversation. You cut in.

"Sorry about what happened, guys," you apologize.

"It's okay, Dave," Jade smiles at you, "I'm just glad you're alright now." _Goddamn._

"It was certainly an interesting first introduction, that's for sure," John scratches at the back of his head, his smile almost a mirror image of Jade's.

"Well, I guess we're going separate ways then, right? I mean, we all found/have our own companions now, and I can't imagine we'd want to stick together any longer," you say. Silence falls between the group as everyone exchanges glances. John ends up piping up a second later.

"Actually, I was hoping that we'd all stick together, if that's alright. I mean, Jade and I really don't have anywhere else to go."

"Alright, then it's settled. We'll stick together," Rose finalizes. "Where to now?"

"We have to return to get Bec!" Jade exclaims, facing you.

"Oh yeah, we have to do that. I told her leaving Bec behind would be a safer idea. We'll have to go back onto the highway," you instruct.

"You brought Bec with you?" John asks.

"Well where was I going to leave him, John?" Jade retorts, a little too harshly.

"Right, sorry," John's cheeks turn red with embarrassment.

"Alright, alright, let's just get the fuck out of dodge, okay? We've got a dog to retrieve."

"Wait a minute, Dave. I have one question. How did you get through the city without being noticed? I can't imagine it was mostly deserted when you came in," Rose inquires. You grimace.

"You're not gonna like it, but _damn_ does it do its job. We rubbed entrails on our bodies to cover our scents." Rose raises her eyes in surprise, and when you think she's going to hit you for being an absolute idiot, she pats you delicately on the shoulder.

"That is the most genius idea ever, Dave. You know, I've been defending myself against the Flesh for three days here out in the city and I _never_ thought of that," she grins with approval. "And people thought I was the smart twin." You can't help but feel a little proud of yourself. You and Rose were never matching completely on wavelengths, but moments like these reminded you that you two weren't always two separate entities; you were family.

"Alright, now that we've made it plain that Dave's idea is brilliant, let's start smearing some guts!" Jade exclaims. The four of you quickly apply and reapply a healthy dose of zombie guts onto your skin, ready to make your way back to the highway once again. None of you dares to make a peep as you step down the street rhythmically, easing your way past all the Flesh gathered around. They take no notice of you, and you slip out of the city limits with no problem whatsoever. Jade eventually makes the first jab at conversation, catching up with John about every single thing she can think of. You give them a little distance so they can talk about whatever families like to talk about. You are enjoying your silence when Rose slithers next to you, her same grin of approval apparent upon her face again.

"What do you want?" you narrow your eyes behind your shades.

"So, I guess the appropriate, teenage question at this moment would be, 'What's the four-one-one with that girl'?" she asks, coy.

"She's been my travel companion for the last two days," you shrug, not letting her get the best of you.

"But I thought Striders are free like an eagle on the wind, flying solo majestically across American plains with nary a shit given," she smirks.

"Yeah, well, Striders don't exactly like to do jack shit alone during a zombie apocalypse because, well, that'd be fucking stupid, first of all. Secondly, she _begged_ to come along with me. I do have to say, it's been nice having company that isn't your sister," you retort. She sticks a tongue out at you playfully, a move that isn't normally in her nature to do, but is probably only used for a theatrical tactic in the situation. "Oh yeah, and what about that goofy kid behind us? Do you have a story with him, huh?"

"Yes, Dave. I leapt into his apartment screaming, 'Take me. Take me. The zombie apocalypse is afoot and I don't want to die with a virginal soul.' Needless to say, he accepted willingly," she remarks with riposte.

"Like hell he would. I'd him up before he'd deflower you." She scoffs

.

"Deflower me? Please, Dave, is this colonial times? Besides, _you_ don't get a say in what I do with my body," she says crossly.

"No, you don't understand. I'm the man of the house, now, so you have to bring your suitors to me so that I can judge whether or not they are suited for a lady of your stature," you deadpan. She chuckles lightly.

"Okay, okay, enough of the witty banter. I met him when I accidentally broke into his apartment. You?"

"Helped her slice some zombies then was held at gunpoint for a good few seconds. It was a fast friendship," you reply.

"Well, I'm glad my brother is branching out and making friends," she pats the back of your head. You nudge her away playfully.

"Our family really sucks at doing that, don't we?" you raise the question. She laughs.

"Yes, that sounds _exactly_ like our family. Sarcastic outcasts with an affinity for sharp objects and alcohol. We've really got the hang of the American dream."

"We are the _epitome_ of the American dream, Rose. We're _are_ the fucking American dream, damnit!" you shout, a chuckle escaping your lips.

"Well, you--" she begins, but suddenly the sound of a dog whimpering in the distance cuts through the air like shattering glass. You see a flash of black breeze past you, sprinting down the road after.

"Shit," you mumble under your breath, breaking into a sprint to chase after Jade.

"BEC!" she lets out a blood curdling scream. You tackle her, pinning her to the ground.

"No, Jade, we can't go after him! It'll be too dangerous!" Another, weaker whimper is heard again, and she releases herself from your hold, trying to run away again before you grab her arms, restraining her from running into the forest.

"I HAVE TO GET BEC BACK! HE NEEDS ME, DAVE!" Her voice strains with pain, and you continue dragging her away from it. She puts up a strong fight, thrashing against you and elbowing you in the stomach a couple of times. You turn towards Rose and send her a look, your version of nonverbal communication. She nods her head.

"I'll handle it." She walks off towards the forest, leaving a nervous John, a broken Jade, and a struggling you behind. Jade continues her best at pulling you forward towards direction of the sound of the whimper. She is admittedly strong, but you are stronger, keeping her in place. She fights for a good five minutes until you see a familiar bob of blonde approaching from afar, blood dripping off her blade. When Jade spots her, her screaming turns into sobbing, and she faces you and rests her head in your chest, your shirt becoming wet with salty tears.

"We c-could h-h-have s-saved h-h-him," she sniffs, choking on each word. You pet her hair in order to comfort her, letting her continue sobbing into you.

"Shhhhhh," you coo in a soothing tone. "I know, Jade. I know." Rose appears by your side, wiping the blade of the kitchen knife on the black fabric belonging to her jacket.

"Dave, we need to find a place to go," Rose murmurs quietly.

"Where can we go?" you inquire.

"I don't know. We need to just head somewhere to find a place to camp and figure out if there really is anywhere we can go. We'll just have to continue by foot for now." You glance down at Jade for a moment, her crying still proceeding at the same height of intensity as before. You attempt to peel away her rifle and bookbag from her, handing it off to Rose and John to hold. You then manage to pick her up, her legs looped through your arms as you support her back with your hands, her head resting on your shoulder. You peer back at Rose.

"Let's go," you mutter bitterly. She nods and you continue your aimless trek down the deserted highway, saying your goodbyes to the city once and for all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for the long hiatus! It's been drawn out mainly because I have been trying to write this damn chapter for several days now (I'm balancing this, being on vacation for two weeks, and college stuff) but I finished, and yeah it's a pretty long chapter but I hope you enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

**Jade: Dream.**

_You are Jade Harley and you are seven years old, standing in your nightgown in the middle of your living room, happily awaiting for your parents to arrive downstairs in order for you to open up your Christmas presents. Christmas has always been one of your favorite holidays, from the various scents of cookies wafting from the kitchen, to the brilliant spread of green against red, to even enjoying time spent with your family. It was one of the only days of the year where you and your parents could really be together since both of them constantly travelled on business trips for their nuclear physics company they had begun before you were even born. Christmas was always one of your fondest memories, and you made sure you would get as many pictures with your parents as possible to hang up on your wall._

_"Daaaaaaaaa! Maaaaaaaaa! I really wanna open presents now!" you screech from below the stairs, clinging onto your favorite teddy bear in the world, Sir Stuffins._

_"We're coming, darling! We're coming!" Dad shouts back to you. You hear the rapid shuffle of feet above you, with a few hushed whispers. You wait patiently at the bottom of the stairs, your lower lip pushed out into a pout. You didn't want to waste a single minute of this day._

_You jump when you feel something cool and slimy spread across the nape of your neck. You turn to face a fluffy white snowball, beady black eyes peaking out from his mound of fur. It was a puppy!_

_"What is this?!" you jump excitedly, embracing the tiny creature in your arms._

_"His name is Becquerel. Your grandfather picked him out for you for Christmas," Mom answers, a warm smile spread across her face._

_"Good boy, Bec," you rub his head, resting your face into the warm insulation of his fur. "I know you're gonna be my bestest friend in the whole wide world."_

_........_

_"Where's my mom and dad?" Suddenly you are twelve years old, standing on that same kitchen floor on Christmas Eve, once cool now bitter coldness engulfing you from head to toe. You no longer grip at Sir Stuffins, his role replaced by a mound of fur now risen to massive heights. He sits dutifully at your side, his wet nose nudging your hand. You stroke the top of his head, the rest of your body stiff as can be. Grandpa tries so hard to stay composed for your sake, so that you have time to let the news set in, but you know what he's going to say. You watched the news for once in your young life, only on a whim because it reminded you of Mom and Dad._

_And then you saw news of the plane crash._

_And you thought that it couldn't be it._

_It couldn't be their flight._

_And you decided it couldn't be their flight._

_It just wouldn't._

_But as soon as your grandpa was standing there in your kitchen in the flesh, you remember only waterfalls and lakes and oceans and rivers._

_And you remember drowning._

**Jade: Be Rose.**

You eye Dave from behind, the sleeping girl slumped over his shoulder sleeping soundlessly, save for a few whimpers from time to time. You wonder what it is about this girl that intrigues him so much. You would leave it alone except that you know your brother and how shut off he is from the world. No, shut off isn't the correct term. _Uninvolved,_ you think to yourself. _Withdrawn._ It never really mattered to you what exactly his intentions with her were. All that mattered was that Dave wasn't as withdrawn as you thought, and that in the course of three days Dave had managed to become a whole other person than you remembered. Not a drastic change, no. Drastic enough to matter, yes. A thought occurs to you.

_Perhaps she's as broken as he is._

Sweat travels down your forehead in rivulets as the sun beats down on you. You regret the decision of wearing black clothing immediately, knowing that it absorbs the most heat. You hear a cough uttered from beside you, the thought of John even being there lost from your mind. You notice him glance over at Dave once every few seconds, a look of remorse plain upon his face. You tug him back a reasonable distance from Dave in order to talk to him.

"What is the matter, John?" From his frown pokes out those signature Har-Bertian (Eg-Ley? You weren't exactly sure how this whole merger game operated) teeth, the sorrow even apparent through their momentary loss of luminesence. His cerulean eyes peer over at you big and blue, kicked puppy expression.

"I should there for her," he says a moment later. You place a reassuring hand upon his shoulder.

"You _are_ here for her. Right now, in fact. You're about all she has at the moment."

"Yeah, I know, but I mean before. First it's her mom and dad, then it's Grandpa, now it's Bec. I'm all she has left in the world and I can't even be the one there to console her. I should've been there for Jade all along and now I'm not and I don't know what to do," he throws his arms in the air, exasperated. "I'm useless."

"Useless is only a state of mind. If you're useless today, then perhaps tomorrow you'll be use _ful_. You can mope about what happens today or you can try your best to make it clear to her that from now on you'll be there for her, through thick and thin. That's the thing about family, John. We may not mesh personalities well, we may be kindred spirits, we may be related through blood or through adoption. The thing is, family is family, and you need to know to keep them close as can be before you lose them forever. I'm sure she'll need you more than ever now, and you need to wait patiently for her, welcoming her with open arms. If you give up today, you'll be giving up for the rest of your life. Then you'll know useless." John doesn't say a word for a long while, his hands resting in his pockets, eyes glued to the ground. His voice, raspy at first, emerges a second later, clearing up as the words travel from his mouth.

"Thank you so much, Rose." You aren't sure what he's thanking you for, exactly, but you accept his thanks regardless, knowing that below that goofy exterior is just a kid who's as lonely as the rest of you. And together you make four, not-so-lonely-anymore misfits. You don't think you would have it any other way.

As you continue on down the tarry ashphalt highway, something catches your sight, as well as the boys' sight. A whole chain of restaurants appear and it's almost like Christmas to you. You and John catch up next to Dave.

"Looks like we're going to have to pick a place to start," you tell Dave. You glance over at Jade. "You should probably wake her up now." He nods his head then moves his shoulder around a bit to nudge her back to consciousness. It takes her a moment, but then stirs and her eyes flicker open, melancholy mossy green orbs alight. It takes her a moment to even say anything, but eventually she mutters softly,

" _Put me down, Dave_." He complies and sets her on the ground gently, holding his arm out for balance support as she gets her footing again. John hands her back her bookbag and rifle, both of which she slings onto her shoulder. She returns her attention to the three of you. "What's going on?" You point in front of you and she turns, gazing at the mass of signs pointing to chain food restaurants.

"Well, pick your poison, guys," you tell them.

"Let's go to the gas station over there," Jade instructs. All three of you shoot her a puzzled look. She gives one back. "What? Honestly, you guys thought that a fast food place would have actual salvagable food? No, everyone knows you need to go to a gas station for that." You mentally kick yourself for not coming to that conclusion and all three of you follow behind Jade's lead.

The gas station is deserted as suspected and there aren't any zombies scrambling around in sight, so you sneak inside without a problem. A decent amount of stuff is missing from previous raids of the store by other people, but there is still plenty left for you to salvage. You immediately find a bag of M & M's and rip them open, picking out only the blue ones and eating them. John peers at you from behind.

"You only eat the blue ones?" he asks.

"They're the only ones that taste good," you respond through a mouthful of M & M's.

"They all taste the same." You shake your head.

"The blue dye tastes different," you explain. His mouth twists to the side.

"You're weird." You smile at him and he walks away to find his own food. From the other side of the room you hear static. You turn to find Jade fiddling with a radio sitting on the counter.

"Jade, you're not going to find a clear station anymore. No one's running anything," John calls out to her.

"On our way over here I saw a number spray-painted black on the sidewalk. I couldn't figure out what it meant, but when I saw the radio I thought I'd check it out," she says. "I think it's something important." You hear the static cut immediately when she reaches the station, and the voices of unknown people are heard. You all remain quiet, listening in on the conversation attentively.

"Unfortunately we've only been able to communicate with five other state locations, but we're in the process of trying to set up one in each state. There are plenty of campgrounds around that are secluded, and if we can at least set up one in each state, that'll give people a bit more of a chance. So far we have one near the southern border of Pine Lake in Texas, one somewhere towards central Louisiana, one off the northern border of Arkansas, one at Jordan Lake in North Carolina, one all the way out in the eastern part of Idaho, and one in Missouri. If anyone needs the address for any of those locations, please contact us at 940-812-3546. Please let us know if anyone in the area is in need of help and we can try our best to help out. Our refugees provide security and a place for people to have a normal life without it being disturbed by any zombies or anything. We'll continue doing our daily updates every hour for thirty minutes every single day. This is Camp Pine signing off." The static cuts through the air again and you all turn to each other.

"Anyone got the number?" Dave asks. You tap your finger against your temple.

"Safely stored up here."

"We're definitely going to go there. We should probably pick up as much stuff here as possible to bring to the camp, if they're a refugee camp," John comments. Suddenly his presence seems a bit bigger to you, more confident, and you wonder if his sudden attitude change is due to your poor attempt at an inspirational speech earlier. Regardless, it has made him less stumbling and nervous and more eager to take control.

"Uh-oh, looks like it's getting pretty dim outside," Jade notices, pointing to the now-setting sun.

"Looks like we'll have to stay holed up inside this gas station," Dave says.

"I'll look for the keys to lock ourselves inside. You guys should work on finding things to barricade the doors with in the meantime. We'll also have to see if they have a place away from the windows where a couple of us can sleep while the other two take watch," you instruct. Dave, John, and Jade all nod and run off, bringing boxes and such in order to create a wall for the door while you search behind the counters for the master keys, if any. You pray that the set of master keys is somewhere within the store, because it would make your life that much easier if you didn't have to worry about zombies pushing their way through into the store while your guard is down.

You sift through drawers, pushing aside masses of paper stuffed inside to see if you can find anything. The master keys are still hiding away from you. You think that maybe if you check in the room in the back you might have some better luck. You find your way to the back and find the keys resting on the table in plain sight. _Thank god,_ you think to yourself, grabbing them and running to all the doors in the store to lock them up. Dave, John, and Jade follow behind you, cramming things against the door to block them up in case they attempt to push through. When you think you've got all the doors locked up, you place the keys into your bookbag and wait towards the entrance for the rest of the group. They've managed to stack every single box of anything they could find against all the doors, with the front door barricaded the most. The stumble over towards you when they're done, huffing from exhaustion of heavy lifting.

"I think we've got it all," Dave pants. You grab your bookbag off the counter and bring it over to him, digging through it and tossing him his inhaler.

"I made sure to grab it for you," you tell him.

"Thanks, Rose," he says, taking a few puffs of it and exhaling after each puff. He tosses it back to you when he's done and you place it back in your bag.

"I figured we'd be doing a lot of running around and such. I know it's not as big of a problem as it was when we were younger, but I brought it just in case."

"Alright, now what are we gonna do? I'm still starving," John whines, his stomach grumbling on cue.

"Let's just get together some packaged items and then eat together on the floor," Dave suggests. You nod your head.

"Probably a good idea." Each of you find some food items and set them down on the ground before sitting right beside them.

"You know, it wouldn't be the same if I didn't have doritos for dinner," Dave chuckles. You are suddenly reminded of many dinners with your older brother, ones that consisted of doritos and applejuice. You usally brought food with for your visits to his house, but the memory makes you laugh, nonetheless. Dirk was never a good cook, and you kind of preferred him that way.

"Dirk always made the best plate of doritos around," you agree, giggling along with him.

"Who's Dirk?" Jade asks.

"He was our older brother," Dave answers.

"He was, what you would call, 'cooking impaired'," you add.

"Our family was pretty big on cooking. Our specialty was baking, however," John mentions. "We always insisted that my dad open up a bakery or something, but he never got around to it. He had to take care of two kids on his own, so the baking was limited to us. In a way, I'm kind of glad he didn't open up that bakery, so that his food was all our own."

"I remember!" Jade exclaims ecstatically. "Man, he really did know how to make a good key lime pie. I miss his food." John nods silently, reaching in to grab a handful of doritos from the bag. The conversation dies down and every one stuffs their faces with assorted junk foods, something that you happily take part of now that all you care about is whether or not you actually get food rather than a stupid regulated balanced diet of all the food groups.

"So how are we gonna do the shifts tonight?" John mumbles through a mouthful of food.

"I think the best way would be to have Jade and I take one shift and you and Dave take another, if that's okay," you propose.

"Sounds fine by me," Jade chirps.

"I guess so . . . " John hesitates. You guess he probably wanted to be split up with either you or Jade, since he didn't really know Dave all that well.

"You'll be fine, John. Dave doesn't bite, right, Dave?" Dave shrugs.

"I tend to sleep punch." You shoot him an unamused glance.

"He's joking," you explain to John. "That's just him being a dick, as per usual. You'll be fine. Consider it a bonding experience for two potential friends!" Dave sends you an unamused look this time, but you ignore it. The boys were just being ridiculously childish.

"Alright, we'll have time to worry about that later. For now, let's just eat!" Jade pushes food towards each of you. You take a handful of doritos and munch on a chip, realizing that perhaps you might've missed out on those dorito dinners all along . . .

**John: Take first watch with Dave.**

You didn't really want to sit with a guy you barely know for four hours. You'd rather spend time with Jade or even Rose, but you got forced to sit with Dave. Dave the quiet, stoic kid who half of the time you can't even tell what emotion he's portraying because he's got his eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. Dave the quiet, stoic kid who's putting the moves on your cousin. You don't trust him one bit, but you give him the benefit of the doubt. You're not entirely sure how much time has passed while you've been sitting at your post by the door, but you'd rather not check. The less you check, the faster it goes by, the quicker you can avoid having to spend more time in silence with him.

"So, your name's John Egderp?" he interrupts your train of thought.

"Egbert," you correct, though you're pretty sure he said that on purpose. There was no way you could ever have a normal conversation with this guy. It makes you wonder what it is about him that really puts Jade in such a tizzy, and the only reason you can really come up with is that he's the stereotypical 'cool guy' that makes girls' hearts beat out of their chest to the point of fainting. You do _not_ approve of that, but you realize that Jade's old enough to make her own decisions.

"Yeah, sorry, man. Just got it confused is all. So you're Jade's cousin?" he asks.

"Uh, yeah. Our moms were sisters," you answer.

"That's pretty cool." You give him a little credit for taking a stab at conversation, but much like you, he's pretty useless at it. The two of you are probably better off sitting in silence. Much to your chagrin, however, he continues the piss-poor attempt at socialization.

"So, I see you've been hanging out with my sister . . . " he trails, picking at his nails nonchalantly. You let out an elongated breath.

"Dude, if you're gonna lecture me about trying to make a move on your sister, then save your breath. If I have to remind you, we're in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, so I don't really think it's the time to be rambling about stupid teenage issues." You notice his mouth twist to the side.

"That's not what I was gonna say, _stupid_ ," he says, muttering the last part under his breath. "I was gonna say thanks for keeping my sister safe." Your eyebrows raise in surprise and you feel your cheeks warm with embarrassment.

" _Oh_ ," you whisper. He cackles with delight, throwing his head backward and resting his hand on his stomach.

"You are such a fucking doofus, I swear! You _totally_ thought I was gonna go all 'Dad Strider' on your ass! I think we're gonna be good friends, Egbert. I really do." You shoot him a side glance.

"What makes you think I'm going to want to be your friend?"

"Dude, of course you're gonna want to be my friend. I'm Dave Strider." A small tsk escapes your lips out of peer incredulousness, but you do admit you are warming up to him a bit.

"Okay, whatever you say," you roll your eyes at him, a toothy smile escaping your lips. "Well, I've heard you've been hanging around my cousin," you add. His face deadpans and you swear you can almost see a brush of crimson across his face.

"There is nothing going on between us, I _swear_. I've only been helping her," he quickly defends himself. You frown.

"I meant to say thanks for helping her out, too?" His mouth drops open as he tries to search for something to say.

"Uh, yeah, that's what I thought you were saying, ha," he fumbles on the last word, craning his head to peer out the window instead. You take a glance over at the backroom where Rose and Jade are peacefully asleep on the tarp Dave has laid out for them. You notice Rose lying flat on her back, arms crossed as if she were lying in a coffin, ready to be buried. It frightens you a little, how corpse-like she can appear. Jade, on the other hand, lies on her side, legs curled tightly to her chest, her mouth slightly parted, very reminiscent of a fetus in a mother's womb. The contrast is so drastic and it's scary, like looking at the line between life and death, and how close it really is. You turn and face towards Dave again, who is busy fiddling with his katana.

"Do you think we'll make it out alive? I mean, that we'll live on our own terms and die on our own terms?" you ask him. His expression changes from stoic to puzzled.

"What brought on all this grim shit?" You shrug.

"I dunno, don't you think about that stuff all the time now? I mean, before it was just a question that popped up once in awhile and you just brushed it off, but now it's sort of . . . _there._ " He stares at the ground for a moment, as if mulling it over, weighing the probabilities you really have of surviving.

"Between the four of us, I think we'll last a pretty goddamn long time. I mean, nothing is really set in stone or anything, but I don't think we're going anywhere any time in the near future." His answer is satisfactory. Not really the answer you wanted to hear, but you appreciate him not sugarcoating it or anything.

"At this point, for me at least, I don't really care about getting myself out alive as much as I do her," you say, gesturing over towards Jade. "She's really had the short end of the stick for most of her life. I just want her to be happy, you know?" He nod his head, and you really do believe he's being sincere about it.

"I feel the same way with Rose. We haven't had the shittiest of lives, but I can't imagine her going before me when I've barely got shit to live for. She's always had better opportunities for things than I have, so even if it means she gets a morsel of a possibility of getting through this hell, then fuck, I'll let her have it in a heartbeat." You're actually glad you have someone to talk to that's on the same page as you are, for once. If you told Jade any of this, she'd get upset and change the subject immediately. Dave wants his sister alive as much as you want Jade alive.

The conversation between you dies down and you're left to the faint humming of crickets chirping outside while you sit in the illuminated entrance of the gas station. It's nice to sit in silence, but you decide now that since Dave isn't as half as bad a guy as you thought and that since you've had plenty silence to last you for quite some time, you'd rather keep talking.

"Alright, so I gotta ask, why do you and Rose have different last names if you're twins?"

"Our parents split a bit ago and Rose wanted our mom's surname and I wanted our dad's surname. I mean, could you imagine me as Dave Lalonde or her as Rose Strider?" The thought of Dave donning a pink scarf and skirt duo and Rose wearing a red t-shirt and jeans with shades to match flashes in your head, and you quickly understand what he means. You chuckle.

"Haha, no, I guess I can't!"

"Alright, so I figure it'll be depressing, but what's you and Jade's story? I mean, since you mentioned she's had a pretty shitty life and whatnot." Your laughter drops when you realize he really does want to know the hideous backstory.

"Oh, well, when Jade was younger, her parents would travel a lot, so she never really ever got to see them. Our grandfather was her guardian most of the time, and she would stay on his island with him. The only time she ever really got to spend with them was at Christmas time. When she was twelve, they were flying in on Christmas Eve as normal when their plane malfunctioned and went down over the Atlantic. She was left to only our grandfather and Bec, and then it was only Bec, and now it's only me." Recalling the memory is harsh on you, because they were your family, too, and you had always wished you had the opportunity to be closer to them, an opportunity that was wrenched right out of your hands against your will.

"I understand," is Dave's only response.

"What are you guys talking about?" You jump when you hear another voice, realizing only a second later that it belongs to Rose. She appears next to you, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Oh, just . . . dude stuff," you attempt to cover the conversation from before.

"Dude stuff?" Dave jumps quickly into the conversation.

"You know, sharing gripping back stories, fighting montages, talks about boobs. The good stuff."

"Ah. 'Dude stuff'. I, being a lady, would never understand that," she grins. "Anyway, you two can sleep, now. Jade and I will take the next shift." You and Dave rise from the ground, wiping off your pants and grabbing your weapons.

"Where's Jade?" Dave inquires.

"Ladies room," she responds, plopping herself delicately on the ground. "Now go to sleep, you two!"

**Jade: Take second watch with Rose.**

"The guys go off to bed?" you ask Rose, stretching your arms over your head before you sit down to join her.

"Yeah, I sent them off to bed. You know boys," she chuckles, rolling her eyes.

"What were they up to?" She shrugs.

"John said, "dude stuff", and Dave said, "sharing gripping backstories, fighting montages, talks about boobs", so you can only begin to imagine where their little vocal chords took them." You giggle.

"Sounds like them. I'm glad they're getting along very well! I was afraid John would think that Dave was some sort of a--"

"Douche?" she cuts you off.

"I was gonna say jackass, but yeah, douche works, too. He isn't, though!" you reassure her. She raises a brow.

"You don't have to reassure me about my own brother, don't worry." You exhale a breath of relief, relieved that you didn't offend her. "While we're sitting here, Jade, you don't mind if I pick your mind a bit? Before the world was in an apocalyptic state, I use to dabble in psychoanalysis, and there's a few things I'd like to know about you." You gulp a bit, frightened by what she might do (pictures of Dr. Frankenstein in his lab flash through out your mind). You nod, though, allowing her to.

"Excellent. Don't worry, it's not what you might think. I'm just going to ask you some questions. First of all, do you harbor feelings for my brother?" You feel the blood quickly rush to your face, the familiar heat of red rising to your cheeks.

"I, well, uh, I mean, I'm not entirely _sure_ ," you stumble over your words, nervous. "I mean, I haven't known him that long and whatnot--" She cuts you off again.

"I just wanted confirmation to see if the feelings were mutual from your end." You pause.

"What? He likes me?" You feel childish for playing the who-likes-who game, especially since you really don't have time to bother with that at the moment, but your heart leaps giddily with the knowledge she just relayed to you.

"If I know my brother, which, mind you, I _do_ , he certainly thinks more of you than you think. He doesn't normally open up to people or care about people that easily, so seeing him with you made me suspicious. I wanted to know what you did to get through that thick skull of his." You turn your palms upward with unknowing.

"I couldn't tell you if I tried. I mean, if you wanted me to go into the full detail of how attraction works and all the chemical processes, I could probably do that for you . . . " you babble, ready to retreat into your only safe haven: science. She holds up her hand, palm facing you.

"That won't be necessary, thank you, though. I was just wondering what he admired about you, but you seem . . . _normal_." You're not sure what to think of that last comment, as if normal was something unappealing, but you also resent that. You try to be everything _but_.

"I don't know if I'm normal, _per se_. What exactly about me were you looking for?" She taps her chin.

"Hmmm . . . post break-up?" You shake your head.

"Nope."

"Prosthetic limb?"

"Is that something that turns him on?"

"God complex?"

"Uhhh no?"

"Tragic backstory?" You can almost hear a _clink_ as the hammer hits the nail on the head. You never like to think of yourself as tragic or pessimistic, rather the opposite as a glass-half-full-of-rainbows-and-butterflies kind of person, but your own story does take the cake for tragic.

"Yeah, my parents died when I was twelve," you confess solemnly. "You know, it's kind of funny. I can make plants stay alive but I can't keep my own family alive." You look down when you feel something touch your skin and find Rose's hands placed delicately on yours as she offers you a warm smile.

"Jade, _we're_ your family now. Dave, John, and I will be here for you no matter what. I'll make sure we'll stay together for as long as possible, you needn't worry." Rose's words comfort you, and you reach over and hug her tightly.

"Thank you, Rose. I needed to hear that." She pats you gently on the back in response and you release her, moving back to your original spot on the floor.

"Anytime," she grins. "Now I think I've solved the algorithm at hand. He's finally met his match." You bear a puzzled look upon your face.

"What does that mean?"

"It means he's finally met someone with qualities that contrast him so much that he can practically relate to in the same way. He always claims he has a type, but I know what he really looks for, believe me." You feel your heart beating a little more rapidly with the possible thought that he likes you, but you refuse to succumb to such childish ideals. This is a zombie apocalypse. Fun flew out the window the minute you lost almost every remaining family member to the Flesh. Your main priority should be killing and guns. You weren't entirely sure about the killing part, but you were genuinely pleased with the gun aspect.

"So what about you, Rose? Got your eyes set on John?" So maybe you weren't perfect at being serious, but it did feel nice to talk about non-zombie things for once in a while.

"I hadn't really considered it at all. Frankly, I'm not too entirely invested in things like dating. My true love is a good piece of literature," she answers.

"My love is science. You know, before all this happened I was well on my way to becoming a nuclear physicist," you tell her.

"Really? That's awfully ambitious of you. And to think, I wanted to publish a series of young adult novels by the time I was twenty."

"Much like guns and gardening, science is second nature to me. It runs in the family, that's for sure. Ever heard of Atomic Industries?" Rose's eyes widen.

"Your family runs Atomic Industries? That's a multi-million dollar company!" she exclaims.

"Yeah, it is, and I would've inherited once I finished college," you stare at the ground dreamily, sighing. "Oh well. What can you do? I feel a little bit better though, not having to stress out about little things like that. I don't have to go through years of hard work anymore, so that adds like, ten years or so on my lifespan. If I make it out alive, that is," you add.

"Incredible. It seems to me that the two most optimistic people in the world are now hanging out with the two most pessimistic people in the world," she chuckles.

"Well, would we be a family if we weren't a little bit diverse in our personalities?" you smile.

"No, I suppose we wouldn't be." You turn your attention towards the window when you see a ray of light peeking out over the horizon.

"Looks like the sun is coming up," you gesture towards the window.

"Yes, it seems that way," Rose turns to gaze at the sunrise.

"You know, I've seen about a billion sunrises, but I have to say, this one is my favorite, by far." Rose sends you a befuddled look and you search around for a loose string of some sort. Eventually you find an abandoned piece of blue string lying on the floor and tie it tightly around your left index finger.

"Why would something like this be your favorite? It's nothing special," she asks.

"It is to me," you finish tying the knot. You know the sunrise isn't really grand, but that's what you like about it. It signifies a fresh start for you, with a new family, and something about that just warms your heart to no end. You definitely won't lose the memory, strings attached or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This could be the death of me, but I'm not going to read through the entire chapter before I post it like I usually do. Like normal, however, I am posting it at like 2/3 am, so that's why I am incredibly lazy right now. Anyway, I do like how a lot of this chapter turned out, regardless, and I hope you enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

**Dave: Wake up.**

 

"Dude!" Your eyes shoot open when you hear shouting, and suddenly your knuckles are throbbing.

"What's happening?" you mutter groggily. You peer over at John, whose nose is dripping with blood currently.

"You punched me in the nose in your sleep!" You chuckle a bit, rolling onto your side to turn away from him and drift back asleep. "It's not funny, asshole! Besides, we need to get up, anyway. The girls are getting salvageable items together to take with us right now before we go and we should probably help them." You groan and rise up from the semi-comfortable floor, arching your back to stretch it as you scramble to your feet. You yawn as you walk out into the main part of the gas station, watching at the girls sprint back and forth, dropping food and other supplies into a pile. You spot a Rice Krispie Treat on the floor and pick it up, opening the silver wrapper in order to eat it. You feel something slap your hand hard.

"Ow! What the fuck?!" you shout, and look up to see Jade frowning at you. You're taken aback a bit at first, seeing her with her hair down for the first time since you met her. You never realized how long it was until it was climbing down her backside, onyx tendrils wrapping around her shoulders and biceps nicely.

"Are you listening to me, Dave?" You snap from your trance and focus back on her face.

"Uh, yes?" She groans.

"I _said_ , don't eat any of that! We need to have stuff for the camp!" You take a bite from the Rice Krispie in retaliation.

"What the fuck am I supposed to eat then?"

"We have our own food already! Besides, we have to sort through this stuff, anyway." You shrug.

"I really doubt they're gonna miss one fucking Rice Krispie treat." She throws her arms up in frustration, ditching you at the supply pile. You finish the treat, the sweet taste of marshmallows and puffed rice sliding down your throat pleasurably. You toss the wrapper in the trash, although it's not entirely necessary anymore. The entire world was a wasteland now, anyway.

"Dave, quit standing around and collecting dust," Rose nags, throwing more into the pile.

"Fine, fine," you mutter, grabbing a small bag of potato chips onto the floor. "There you go. Happy now?" Rose grunts.

"You're such a pain in the ass, you know?" she furrows her brows, grimacing at you. You shrug.

"What can I say? It's what I do best." She shoots you her famous thousand-yard stare, but you are immune to by now. You give in regardless, because you are, indeed, being a pain in the ass.

"I'll help out, alright?" Her face twists into delight when she gets her way, returning to gather more supplies. You throw several things into the pile mindlessly ( _They'll need key chains, right?_ ), walking back and forth from the shelves to the growing mound of assorted objects. You find a new shelf to start sifting through, picking up a few bags of Wasabi flavored Lays, part of their new 'flavor excursion' or whatever the hell it was.

"Do you think they'll like these things?" you turn to face Jade, but immediately replace the bags back on the shelf when she doesn't move, remaining still as possible as she gazes down at something lying upon her cupped hands. "Jade? Are you alright?" You notice a tiny heave of her chest and turn her to face you, pushing onyx locks out of her face. You are able to get a good look at the item in her hand: a moonpie. She mutters something aloud, only you aren't able to distinguish the garbled words.

"Come again?" Her gaze rises a bit, and you notice her mossy green eyes brimming with salty tears.

"Moonpies were his favorite," she repeats, her lower lip trembling. "We used to eat them all the time together. He wasn't really supposed to have them because chocolate isn't good for dogs, but grandpa would order them by the bushel and I just . . . Oh god, I can't believe I'm getting emotional over a fucking moonpie." As tears trickle down her cheeks your mind races with confusion over what to do. Do you pat her on the back? Do you tell her it's going to be okay? Then your mind shouts, _Do something, you idiot!_

"Jade, I--" you begin, but she drops the moonpie on the floor, surprising you by throwing her arms around your torso, holding you tightly as she presses her face into your chest.

"I'm glad you're here." You don't know how to react, but your hands find a mind of their own and gently glide to her back as you rest your chin on her head. You try to enjoy the moment while it lasts, but a grumble disrupts you, bringing you back to earth. You turn several different shades of red when you both find yourselves staring at John, releasing your grip on each other almost immediately.

"Uh . . . " is all you manage to utter. John's face still bears an disapproving grimace, but he doesn't press further.

"We need to sort through the stuff now, Rose says. She thinks we have plenty enough items and that we need to see what we need to bring or can bring so that we can pack it up and go. She also says we need to get on the road as quick as possible because she looked over the route on the map she found and she thinks it's gonna take at least ten hours to get there," he explains. The both of you nod your heads and John slips away, still hesitant on whether or not to leave you and Jade alone. You turn your attention towards her, wiping away the stray tear that is left trailing down her face.

"He wouldn't want you to cry," you tell her, giving your best stab at a small smile. A warm smile spreads across her face, letting you know she's better, at least for now, and that takes a whole load of weight off your shoulders. The two of you hold each other's gaze a moment longer, and you wish you knew what wild thoughts were running rampant throughout the complex circuit board that was Jade Harley's mind. Wild thoughts from a wild girl.

Eye contact between you and her ceases not too long after, and you abandon each other. You manage to make your way over to the pile, resting on your knees on the floor to help sort stuff into different groups: drinks, junk food (a good percentage of the pile), toiletries, etc. It takes quite a bit of time, but the four of you manage it within an hour, including packing up the bags with things that you found were necessities. Rose places the maps on the floor afterward, explaining her plan.

"Alright, so we're right here," she points to a spot on the map of the town you're in, "And we're all the way over here." Her finger travels a bit of a distance across the map towards the area right next to the lake, like the radio broadcast said. "I think if we walk a bit of the way and then try and pick up a car, it'll get us there in no time. I'd give it at least two days. We'll stop somewhere a bit away from the halfway point at a house or something and take shifts like we did here. Then we'll search for a gas station nearby, pick up some gas, hot-wire a car, and then drive the rest of the way there. The only reason why we're doing it halfway is because I don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves. All we need to do is get enough gas for a few hours to get us there, and we'll be good. Everyone good?" The rest of you nod your heads in unison with agreement, joining Rose when she rises from the ground.

"Who's gonna carry the extra bags?" John asks, pointing to the two full bags of assorted necessities.

"We'll take turns, if that seems fair enough," Rose decides, with confirmation of agreement from the nodding of heads following behind it. "Dave, do you want to take the first turn with me?" You shrug your shoulders, picking up one of the two bags and slinging it on your shoulder. The added weight is a bit uncomfortable, but you'll manage. You've spent enough days bench pressing that your arms can handle the pressure.

Rose follows suit and you notice it's a little harder on her. She's never been one for athleticism of any kind, training her muscles of knowledge more often than her own biceps. She did not inherit the 'exercise' gene like you did, and you two were fine with that.

"Okay, does anyone need to go to the bathroom before we ditch this 'paradise'?" Rose inquires.

"No," the three of you utter in unison.

"Good. Let's hit the road, then. We certainly aren't getting any younger standing around, and we certainly won't get any older by just standing aimlessly." Her coy attitude is just the thing to put you in good humor, and you continue your trek through Zombieland, population: who even gives a fuck anymore.

 

**John: Reflect on life.**

 

You've ambled your way from the gas station in silence for quite a while, left only to introspection and the faint chirping of few birds. They've started chirping less frequently, and you kind of miss that. Before everything fell apart, you would wake up each morning at six, just in time to watch the sun begin creeping over the horizon and to hear the birds flutter about happily from tree branch to tree branch. Now all that's left is an echo of what once was, ghosts of forgotten melodies tempting to be sung but with no one to sing them.

You think you've had enough self-reflective time now. Shit's getting you down, bro.

You take notice in Rose and Dave exchanging conversations, a lot of what they're saying almost incoherent. You've noticed them do it from time to time since you've first seen them together. It's as if they've created their own secret language, 'Siamese Speak', as you like to call it. It's times like that you wish you still had your own sister by your side again. It aches, still, the wound not yet healed, but you're able to suppress it most times. Once you found Jade, you felt somewhat . . . whole again. She was all you had left and vice-versa, and you took comfort in knowing that. You would almost be willing to bet that Dave and Rose felt very similarly. Nobody ever wants to be alone when the world is in complete and utter desolation. It was just an unspoken rule. No one ever really wants to be alone.

You notice Jade's emerald orbs staring straight ahead of you, casting them dreamily upon the lanky blond in front of her, like she was floating upon cloud nine or something. You grit your teeth, mad at him for flirting with her all the time. You don't mind Dave much anymore, but when it comes to Jade, you'd prefer he'd leave her alone.

He posed a distraction to her, first of all. Losing her focus means one step closer to losing her life. Vigilance is always key when you're practically walking out in the middle of nowhere virtually unprotected (save for your assorted weapons). It's like you're a walking buffet table with a sign stapled to your forehead saying, "Come here and eat us! Kids eat free! Everyone eats free!" You cannot even begin to fathom the range of emotions you'd go through if you lost her, and you'd prefer not to find out.

The second thing that threw you off was Dave himself. He seemed nice enough, but there was a feeling you couldn't shake that was almost as if he wasn't one hundred percent there, like maybe he was hiding something. You didn't like that because if you're good at keeping secrets from friends, then how could that warrant trust of his person? He seemed shady and off-putting most times, too secretive.

The third thing was that you were in an apocalypse. A zombie apocalypse, to be exact. What would happen if he bit the dust? Jade doesn't need another person she cares about to leave her, and you couldn't stand the emotional trauma she would go through. Seeing Jade in pain would be the worst thing in the world to you, you're positive. Even more than zombies, you'd say. You just want her to be happy again.

Lastly, he punched your nose. _Asshole._

You decide stroll up beside next to Jade and tap her arm lightly to gain her attention, inviting her to conversation.

"Hey, Jade," you greet her happily. She jumps a little, breaking away from her one-man staring contest with Dave's back.

"Oh! Hi, John," she greets you excitedly, a faint blush curling about her cheeks. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering what you were up to. You seemed to be focusing pretty intensely on something there," you remark. She begins shifting nervously, fiddling with the butt of her gun.

"I wasn't focusing on anything, hee hee!" she chuckles forcefully, her voice squeakier than usual. You catch onto her arm and hold her back a bit, giving you some space in between you two and the Wonder Twins.

"I don't think you should be hanging around him," you blurt out instantly, the implications behind it clear.

"What?" Jade's shifty expression changes to one of confusion, thrown off by your statement.

"I said, I don't think you should be hanging around him. He's bad news, Jade. I can just feel it," you reaffirm. Her eyes immediately narrow, the corners of her mouth curving downward.

"And how have you come to this conclusion, might I ask?"

"I just get a bad vibe from him, Jade. He keeps everything to himself, first of all. I just get this weird vibe that he's not tell us something important. People who keep secrets aren't very good people to have around. He distracts you, secondly. What would happen if you were off in dreamland and some zombie came up and bit you? Do you want that to happen?" you attempt to explain. She looks pissed, but you're only trying to help her.

"Look, John, I appreciate your input, but I don't need any dating advice from some kid who, even though we're related, I've barely seen each other since we were like five. And besides, what about Rose? Don't tell me you haven't been ogling her all the time, because I know that's a boldfaced lie. Stop being such a hypocrite," she spits, fury rising. It's your turn to be angry, because Jade wants to push you out, almost as if she couldn't care what would happen to you. You're only trying to help. You raise your voice slightly.

"Oh yeah? Well what happens if he dies? Where does that leave you? Alone and cold like you always are," you retort, but you let out a small gasp when you realize what you've done. Her emerald eyes melt behind a layer of tears, budging their way out from her tear ducts. She pushes you to the side as she deserts you, ushering her way further ahead of the group. She rushes past Rose, capturing her and Dave's attention immediately, puzzlement worn upon their faces as sniffles slide through the air. Rose turns to face you, her brows creating creases in her forehead.

"Dave, go take care of Jade. I'll handle John," she instructs. He nods and strides towards Jade, leaving you and Rose alone.

"I just wanna look out for her," you heave a sigh, defeated. Rose lightly places a hand on your shoulder reassuringly.

"Well, looks like you're doing a pretty piss-poor job of it." You furrow your brows in disbelief.

"Thanks a lot, Rose." She chuckles, shaking her head.

"John, you've got to realize that maybe Jade doesn't want someone to look out for her all the time. I mean, from what she told me, she's been managing doing it for herself for a long time. Of course she wants you there, but she wants you to be there as not just a cousin, but a friend. She doesn't want to feel like she can't do something, that she's being treated like a little kid. She's not weak." Your expression softens, mulling over what was just relayed to you. She was right. Jade didn't need someone to protect her. She just wants someone who can be there for her, not someone who will make her feel like she's not strong and capable. You just felt that you had to fill some sort of position like that for her because you care about her. Your gaze sets on Dave in front of you, whose hand is resting over Jade's shoulder as he comforts her. They seem to melt into the horizon as they quicken their pace, or you slow yours, as if lost in their own world.

"He's your brother. Do you think he'll be good to her?" you gesture. Rose doesn't answer right away, as if trying to search for a right answer. Her lips part as she attempts to respond, but her words remain silent as a sudden burst of gun shots ring through the air, quickly heightening your adrenaline levels.

" _The Flesh,_ " Rose whispers instead, and you nod your head in understanding. Your mind orders your hand to reach for your makeshift weapon instinctively, dropping the weight from your shoulders. You notice that Rose has done the same as you sprint off to catch up with Dave and Jade.

Holy. SHIT.

You would be fine with ten zombies, maybe fifteen tops, but this was almost like a sort of zombie convention was being held, and you four were the special guests. Scratch that, you four were the special buffet. Dave and Jade are holding on their own pretty well, but the amount of Flesh is just too overwhelming, pushing in closer on them.

"You go help Dave, I'll help Jade!" Rose shouts, and you tip your head, your sneakers taking off on the hot asphalt towards Dave. He takes notice of you almost immediately, continuing slicing up zombie jugulars left and right.

"Please tell me you know how to handle that hammer because I'm not sure I can handle being knocked out right now," he comments, straining his voice. You gaze down at the hammer in your hand before swinging it with all the brute force you have, taking the zombie down with a swift K.O.

"I think I got a good hold on it," you smirk smugly.

"Well, Mr. High-And-Mighty-Now-That-I-Can-Use-A-Hammer, care to help me the fuck out?" Your eyes widen and you revert back to battle-ready mode, swinging the hammer like there's no tomorrow. They quickly fall to the ground, black blood oozing from trephining. You fight pretty well alongside Dave, being able to tackle the ones that creep up from behind, but they still push against you two, moving you out towards the forest. As you stumble into the mounds of pine straw that line the entire forest floor.

"I've got an idea, and you might not like it, but I think it's gonna work. It is just gonna take some careful precision, and we can't fuck it up," Dave says to you.

"Oh, yeah? What is that?" You ask, bashing in the head of another zombie.

"We run. We pull the mass of them away from Rose and Jade and take them down, then return to see what's left." His plan sounds gutsy, and you wouldn't normally agree to something as stupid as that, but you figure what the hell, you certainly aren't going to lose anything by not doing it.

"I'm in." He nods and you can hear the silent counting across his breath, almost instantaneously taking off as soon as the 'three' hits the air. You realize suddenly that he's right, this plan does involve quick precision. The roots that tangle across the floor are serving to be a hindrance. One false move, you trip, and death is nigh instantaneous. You make all the right moves in all the right places, pull them far enough, and maybe, just  _maybe_ , you have a chance of making it out alive.

You don't even realize you've stopped at first, surroundings blurred by pure adrenaline pumping through your blood. The hammer finds a mind of its own, slashing through the air as thuds are heard, hitting the forest floor. You can hear Dave make comments such as, "Take that you bastard!" and such, but you can't make out the rest. You just remember flashes of black splaying through the air, smearing all over your face and clothes. You don't even give a shit at this point, you just keep going, your mind having left the physical realm already.

Almost instantly your dragged back down by vibrations rustling your body. Your mind trails back to earth and focuses on Dave, your systems up and running together once again.

"Dude! C'mon, John, quit waving that fucking thing around. You're gonna take out a woodland creature and I'm not gonna stand around and bare witness to that. C'mon, man, it's over." You breath and settle your arm, gaining control of yourself.

"Sorry," you mutter. The hammer slides out of your limp noodle arms, without making a thud. You take notice of the scatter of zombies around, almost shrouding the entire ground around you.

"It's alright, we just gotta go back now. We gotta make sure Rose and Jade are alright. Go on and pick your hammer back up and let's go." You follow his instructions and pick the hammer back up, noticing it's stained black. Ew.

You try and sprint as fast as you can, but your body is exhausted. The adrenaline has left your body and you have used up all your reserves of energy, but you push on. You have to make it back to Jade and Rose.

When you push through the clearing you're almost immediately relieved by the sight of dead zombies, not a trace of a (could you call it that?) living zombie around. Your anxiety finds you once again as you're met with no sign of Jade or Rose.

" _Shit_ ," Dave breathes, kicking around corpses to see if there's any sign of them around.

" _Shit shit shit_ ," you echo, noticing that their back packs have been left behind. That means they have no food, no water, and Jade has no refills for ammunition. They are running around somewhere, lost without anything to keep them alive and safe. They are walking targets, prey to any zombie that stumbles upon them.

"We've got to find them," you say in a panicked tone.

"No shit," Dave remarks. "C'mon, let's pick up our stuff and start looking for them. Rose has a map in there, so we'll just have to follow it and hope that they know exactly where they're going. We'll just go to the halfway mark if we can and stay there a bit, and if they don't meet us there we'll just head towards camp."

"We can't just abandon them!" you shout, but he turns toward you, expression cold and blank.

"John, I'm about as fucking strung up about this as you are, but we need to be practical. There's only so many square miles we can cover. We can't waste time looking for them. We just have to continue the plan like before and pray to whoever-the-hell that they'll find us again."

You feel righteous fury bubble through your skin, but part of you knows he's right, it makes no sense to search for them. You've already wasted time standing around here fighting off the undead, and if you waste anymore hours looking around, it'll be dark before you know it and you will be without shelter. You have to carry on, even if the other part of you wants to keep yourself grounded. You just have to trust that Rose and Jade will find you soon, or vice-versa.

You pray to God that they're even alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys!  
> Now, I know I've been away for a while, but that's only because I've been doing college stuff and this chapter has taken me a long time to write because I wasn't sure where I wanted to go with it. Granted, it isn't as long as I'd hoped like the other chapters but it's still pretty long, and I think it might be the longest portion of John's point of view that I've written so far, so that's pretty cool. I can't promise the next chapter will be out any time soon, but I'm working on it, along with other fanfics that I've kept on a hiatus beside it. This one just happens to be the one I work on the most, if even. I'll try and get the next chapter up as soon as possible and I hope you like this one (I've tried to make it a good one so if it doesn't meet expectations please keep reading because I promise I will try harder as I get the hang of what I'm doing out in the real world.) Feel free to leave a comment below, whether it be asking about something in the story or something or just a nice comment is always nice, or if you don't wanna do that a kudos is always appreciated. If not, thanks for at least taking a look at this fanfic or keeping up with it! I really do appreciate all the lovely people on here that are so kind as to leave nice comments or give it kudos, so thanks again! :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Rose: Get Lost.**

You cannot possibly be any more lost than you are right now. You've probably seen the same thread of tangles of vines crawling up the trees over and over again. To make matters worse, you and Jade were without any supplies whatsoever, with the exception of your knives and Jade's almost empty rifle. To make matters the worst, it was getting dark.

"Rose, do you think John and Dave are alright?" Jade inquires, fiddling with the red string on her pinky.

"I sure hope so. Dave's always been pretty keen direction wise, so I'm sure John is coping just fine. My best hope is that they've already noticed we're gone and have gotten the supplies. I would hope they would come for us, but seeing as we possibly couldn't find our way around ourselves, it's highly unlikely they would've tried. I suggest we just try our best at sticking to the plan and meeting them at the halfway point," you explain.

"That would probably be for the best," Jade nods her head, stumbling a bit over a tree root pushing its way out of the ground. "Well, if worse comes to worst, I do know a lot of basic survival skills. Not only was I in girl scouts for a time, I also learned them when I stayed with Grandpa on his island."

"Well, I'm glad at least one of us is apt at basic survival. I still am in awe at the fact that Dave and I have managed to survive this long. We are very much so introverted home bodies, and while Dave may be somewhat athletically inclined, we still barely know how to boil pots of water ourselves," you explain.

"Glad to be of service," Jade bears a weak, halfhearted grin. The two of you trudge through the forest silently, praying for any sign of asphalt to grace your eyes once again. You're greeted very much with disappointment and brimming pitch-black.

"We need to stop," you announce aloud to Jade in a dejected tone, the two of you halting in place.

"I can at least make us a small fire for the time being. I'll go ahead and take the first watch while you sleep," Jade offers. You nod your head.

"I think that's our best course of action for the time being. What time do you think it is right now?" you inquire of her. She squints her eyes as she stares at the small clearing above you, the darkness filing in much more quickly as stars begin to spot the sky.

"I think it's about nine, but that's only my best guess. My best assumption is that it will be bright enough to see at around six, so I'd say we each get about, oh, four and a half hours of rest and then we get a move on, search for temporary supplies?" she suggests.

"Fine by me," you agree, patting down a spot for you to sleep on the uncomfortable earth. "Wake me up if there is any trouble, even if it's a false alarm. We need to be on high alert here." She acknowledges your comment and begins collecting items in order to construct the fire. You lie your head down, resting your hands on the ground before settling, hoping that the boys are faring much better than the two of you.

**Dave: Be in immense pain.**

"MOTHER FUCKING FUCK FUCKITY FUCK SON OF A MOTHER FUCKING BITCH!" Excruciating pain sears up your left leg as you fall to the ground with a _thud_ , cheek kissing hard earth.

"Dave, just--" John begins, but your face turns upward at him, your intense glare visible by the lack of shades that fell from the bridge of your nose as you dropped.

"SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP," you grit your teeth, your hands cradling your leg to your chest as you bite back the urge to scream bloody murder. You feel something wet underneath your fingers and lift them, a dark substance staining your pale skin.

"Oh shit," John says weakly. You lift your head up to his gaze.

"What, you're scared of blood? You weren't reacting that way with the zombies," you notice. Even though it is getting dark, you notice his skin has run pale, almost paler than yours, a big contrast from his naturally bronze skin.

"That's different," he protests, and you can hear a tiny dry-heave in his voice. "It's not _fresh_." You roll your eyes at him. What a baby.

"Okay, well, here's the thing. I'm gonna need you to help me off the ground, and _please_ , try to refrain from barfing on me, okay? I don't need barf and blood on my all in one day." John nods his head as you lift yourself from the ground as much as possible, resting your weight on the right side of your body. You grab your shades and stuff them in your pocket for the time being. John offers a hand to you and you grab it, pushing off the dirt with your right foot, leaning your elbow on John's shoulder once you're up.

"You good, Man?" he asks.

"As good as it gets. I just don't get why people would put fucking barbed wire around their house! What kind of assholes do that?" you shout.

"Maybe it was once the zombies started appearing," John suggests, but you ignore his comment. You don't have time for reasoning when you have a slice in your leg the size of Texas.

"Shit, I forgot we still have to get these bags inside," you glance at the four, loaded bags lying on the ground. "Alright, I think I've got a plan. We'll throw the bags over the fence, I'll hoist you over to the other side as best as I can, then you open the gate out front and let me in. Is that good with you?"

"I don't see any better option," John responds. "I'll throw the bags if you want. You wanna keep your sword over here?" He leans you against a tree and then holds up your sword in front of you. You grab it from his grasp and swing it back onto your shoulder.

"I've gotta have some form of protection," you tell him as he begins tossing the bags over the killer fence. Once he's lobbed them all over he returns to your side.

"You sure you want to do this? I could always throw you over," he offers. You shake your head.

"I'm positive. No offense, but between the two of us, I have better upper body strength. You'll be over quick enough to reach the other side and wait for me to make it around to the gate. Now let's hurry up and get it over with. My leg isn't gonna last forever untreated."

He offers an arm to usher you over to the side of the fence. You balance on your left knee, pain immediately shooting up your leg. You grit your teeth hard to ignore it, placing your hands one on top of the other palm-upward in order to lift John up. He places his right foot on your hands, holding onto your shoulder for balance. The pain becomes harder to ignore but you bite into your cheek hard, putting all your effort into getting John over the fence. Once he's hanging onto the edge of the top of the fence, resting both feet on your hands, you push him upward as fast as you can. He gains grip of the top of the fence and his feet push off from you onto the fence and then over the fence, the rest of John disappearing from sight. You fall to the ground once again, suddenly blacking out from the pain, the world around you fading.

_"Is that all you got, Little Man?" Dirk smirks, his foot pressed up against your chest. He's been training you in the art of the Katana for the past few months every day. He says it's good for you to have a hobby, and he's always thought you would be good with a sword in hand. He's right, sword fighting is the most natural thing you've ever done, and you can't ever replicate the feeling you get when you place a Katana in your hands. It makes you feel balanced, at peace. It just feels right._

_You've never been able to best Dirk before, but something about today just seems different, as if some sort of odd was in your favor, just for today. You feel like you can beat him, in fact, you know you can beat him._

_As he cackles above you, you find every ounce of fury you have and push upward on Dirk's foot, causing him to lose his balance immediately, stumbling backwards away from you. As fast as a flash of lightning you're back on your two feet into offensive position. He notices and suddenly his balance has found him, creeping back into position, as well. The sound of metal clashing is heard from the rooftop over the city, and the brilliant orange of the sky contrasts in the background amongst the two of you. You can't seem to remember what happens in those seconds between regaining your own two feet and that triumphant moment when your foot is resting upon Dirk's chest, but it's the proudest moment you'll ever experience in your life._

_A wave of red floods your subconscious, suddenly, and--_

"DAVE?! DAAAAAAAAAAAAVE!" A loud cacophony pierces through your ear canal and jerks you awake. You're suddenly aware of the pain again, and you push yourself off the ground, grabbing hold of the nearest tree. You hear a thumping on the ground growing closer and closer to you. John halts in front of you, panting as he rests his hands on his knees.

"What happened?" he asks.

"I passed out," you shrug. "Now don't be an asshole and help me!" He extends a hand and you grab onto it as he pulls it around his neck. The two of you hobble along to the front gate, finally able to gain access into the semi-luxurious house. John hands you off to hold onto the railing out on the front porch, receiving his hammer from the pile of bags he placed on the porch beforehand and smashing it into the door until he's made a hole through it. He sticks his hand in the hold and unlocks the door, taking it out again to turn the knob on the outside. The door pushes open and you hobble inside, finding your way to the couch in the house and resting on it. You notice your blood has trailed and stained the once-pristine white carpet, but you don't give a fuck. You find your shades in your pocket and replace them back on your face.

"John, you're gonna have to help me treat my leg, seeing as how I have lost the ability to move around properly," you call out to him.

"I'm comin', I'm comin," John's voice answers back in an annoyed tone. He returns to your side a moment later, a bowl of water in one hand, a first-aid kit in the other, and a towel hanging off his shoulder. "Alright, you're gonna have to bear with me. I have very limited knowledge of first aid. Unfortunately for you, it's Jade who's gifted in the department of everything, especially survival," he explains, removing your shoe and sock before dipping the towel into the water, wringing it out, and placing it on the deep cut.

"AGH!" you howl, pain shooting up your leg.

"Quit being such a baby," John casually retorts, cleaning up the wound as best as he can. It doesn't do much, but it does feel a tinge better with the towel now pressed against it.

"Well, hopefully we'll be out of here soon enough and we'll be able to catch up with the girls. If Jade can fix up my leg, then life will be about a hundred times easier on me," you comment. "That Jade is pretty crafty, isn't she?" John's gaze doesn't meet yours, but his expression twists into mock interest in your leg, brows tugging downward. You wonder to yourself what's got his panties all in a twist. He removes the towel and opens the medical kit, unwrapping what seems to be a towelette. He begins rubbing your skin clean with it, making it spike uncomfortably with pain once again.

"Fuck!" you shout, pounding your fist on the couch. John seemingly has ceased conversation, and you have no idea why.

"What's got your granny panties all in a motherfucking bunch?" you ask him.

"Nothing," he says quietly, but you know differently. You perfected that expression.

"C'mon, Egbert, spill the fucking beans. You've got beef with me and I have no clue what kind of cut it is," you press. "John. JOHN. JOOOOOOHHHHNNNN." He swats at you, pushing your jabbing finger out of the way.

"Leave it alone!" he raises his voice, and you grow silent. Normally you wouldn't continue after someone expressly is upset, but you know better. John had something he wants to get off his chest, and he was gonna get it alright.

"Okay, I don't know what seems to be your fucking problem, _Man_ ," you start, "But ever since you've met me you've been a little shit to me when I haven't done anything!" John crosses his arms.

"Fine! You wanna know what I think, _Strider?_ " John jests. "I think you're an asshole who doesn't deserve Jade at all and keeps secrets from everyone! And you always wear those _stupid_ shades all the time because you think it makes you look cool but really it makes you look like a douche! And you know what? You probably are a douche! You're probably putting on a facade and you think you can fool us! Which is unfortunate for you because you CAN'T. FOOL. ME!" John seethes, jabbing his thumb into his chest for emphasis on the last few words.

You have no response for him, really. Usually you're really good at witty comebacks, but what John said really did kind of sting. Not as much as the open wound in your leg, but still. If that's his perception of you, then it might as well be everyone's perception of you. Even Jade's. He was probably right about her, too. You definitely don't deserve her at all.

"Okay, uncle. You win all the fucking rounds, Egbert. Do you want a reward or some shit? Is that what you were looking for? Because you're not gonna find it here, so I suggest you go stick your nose into someone else's shit for now, because I'm sick of dealing with you." John seems taken aback at first by your comment, as if the victory of you relenting was more unfulfilling than it seemed to be, but doesn't say anything. He stares at you a moment before retreating, slinking down the dark hallway of the house. Good. You didn't need him to help you bandage your leg, anyway.

You bend over to retrieve the medical kit, straining against gritted teeth as you pick it up and place it on your lap. You take the towel once again and apply pressure to your leg, hollow hope resonating in your chest. You had no idea what it would take to get your leg healed again, and the only person that could was about a million miles away. At least, it seemed like that. Even if you did have a chance of finding her, it was highly unlikely you could make it. You were royally fucked in more ways than one, and your only real option right now was to start writing out your will.

**Jade: Wake Rose up.**

"Rose! Rose! I heard something! Get up you big oaf!" You shake her arm rapidly, realizing that she is not as easy to wake up as her former. She clings to sleep as if it were a good book, in her case. She begins to stir soon, lifting herself from the ground.

"Is it time for me to get up already?" she hums dreamily, the veil of sleep slowly lifting from her eyes. You punch her in the arm, instantly gaining her full attention. "Ow! What's the hurry?"

"Rose, I heard something, and I don't like the sound of the something I heard. I think we need to continue on through the dark. I don't think we have time to sleep until we find an actual shelter," you explain worriedly.

"Well, do you think you could whip us up a couple of torches, then? There's no way we're navigating in the dark," she says. You nod your head a little, rising.

"Yeah, I think so. It's not going to be super quick or anything, but I think if I can get some sap from one of the trees I'll be able to sustain a couple of torches. See any sharp rocks lying around?" you ask. She looks around on the ground and produces a sharp rock per your request. You turn around and find a tree, hoping that it will contain sap. It'd be much easier if you were surrounded by maple trees and not various oaks and such, which rarely ever produce any sap at all. It'd be even better if you had a spile, but seeing as you barely have any ammunition or any supplies at all, you can keep using a sharp rock.

You spend a good portion of your time slamming a rock into the trunk of the tree, but sure enough, you are able to get some sap to ooze out. You try your best to find some discarded branches large enough to be a sustainable torch and then do your best to coat them in the sap before bringing them to the fire to light them. The branches catch fire almost immediately and you hand one off to Rose.

"I'm not sure how long this will last, but this should work for the time being." She rises from the ground, dusting off herself before grabbing one of the torches from your hand.

"Do you think you'll have enough rounds for your gun or do you want one of my knives?" Rose asks.

"I think I'm gonna save the rounds I have left and use one of your knives, if that's okay," you say, patting the gun hanging off your shoulder.

"Sure thing." She runs her hand over the knife belt she has strapped around her waist and picks one, handing it over to you. "This one should do."

You unsheathe the knife immediately, knowing for a fact that you weren't going to have as much accuracy with the weapon. The gun was always your forte, and knifes were just too . . . foreign. Yet, you didn't have much time for complaining when you were pretty sure some zombies were going to be tailing you soon.

You look down at the fire and kick dust into it, blotting out the fire. It dies down, only brilliant red embers remaining.

"Which way do we have to go?" Rose twirls slowly in a circle, judging the forest around her. She finally turns back to you.

"That way," she points ahead of you, leading the way out. As you leave, you hear a rustle of leaves behind you and you quicken your pace beside Rose, all the while trying not to blow out your torch.

"I think they might be getting closer," you shift around nervously, checking every so often behind your back for any signs of them.

"Just be prepared for anything," Rose instructs, and you nod your head at her, staring straight ahead again. When you turn, you bump into something almost immediately, falling to the ground. You bring your torch up to see what's happened--

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" you scream, stumbling backwards on your hands to get as far away as possible from the member of the Flesh standing in front of you. "ROSE!" You hear a stabbing sound as the zombie falls to the ground in front of you, head landing right at your feet. You clumsily find your way to your feet, discovering your torch on the ground next to you, spreading flames amongst the dry pine straw.

"Oh dear," Rose groans, quickly grabbing you by the arm to pull you away.

"We need to put it out!" you exclaim anxiously. You know for a fact that Smokey the Bear would be having a conniption right now. In fact, you were having a conniption right at this very moment.

"There's no time for that! We've got no water and we just need to run!" she shouts, pulling at you desperately. You finally make it back on your two feet, following hastily behind her. The smell of the smoke is overbearing, but if the two of you manage to keep running, you might just make it out of the dense foliage.

You cannot believe you've just started a massive forest fire. That is a thing that just happened. You feel so terrible.

Eventually you do find a clearing in the trees that lead to a road, and boy, has this been the first time you've been glad you're out in the open. Rose seems to get your mental signal to stop and rest, the two of you hunched over, pressing your palms on your thighs, panting.

"So, no more forests, then?" you ask. She turns to you then giggles, actually _giggles_ , and for a second you think she might have carbon monoxide poisoning.

"Let's go find the guys, they must be worried sick." You cease resting and begin traveling down the asphalt due north, in hopes of finding anything that will keep you even remotely safe.

**John: Quit being a douche bag.**

You resent that.

Yet, you do feel kind of bad. Maybe you . . . misjudged Dave? You feel like you're probably almost too prideful to admit that, but you decide against your own narrow judgement and decide that you did. He didn't seem amused at all that you would make those accusations about him and seemed almost hurt. No, scratch that. That was the first time you saw any hint of real emotion from Dave besides coolness and the little happiness that could almost be detected when he was around Dave.

You really are an asshole, aren't you?

You realize that if Jade we here right now she'd be yelling at the both of you to quit acting like babies and if Rose were here she might merely dismiss it as a power struggle between the two of you that needed to be resolved instantly. Both would be absolutely correct, to the t. You decide to work up the gusto to apologize.

You abandon the room you had decided to take refuge in for the past few hours and exit down the hallway, barely visible light pouring in through the windows. Dave is sitting on the couch working at his leg, which still refuses to cease bleeding.

"Here, move over," you push his hand away lightly, grabbing the bloody towel from his hand. You gag a little, still uncomfortable with all the blood and the metallic taste it leaves in your mouth, but you suppress it for the meantime. He eyes you carefully from the side, still irate about the prior encounter between you two.

"What do you want," he spits. You find a clean towel on the floor and apply it to his leg. He flinches a bit from the pain, but doesn't complain, letting you handle it.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry for acting like a jerk before. I've just been really stressed out and decided to take it out on you, which was awful of me. I didn't mean it, you know," you tell him, pointing toward the towel to tell him to keep it in place. He does so and you grab some medical tape and gauze out of the kit.

" . . . What?" he looks at you incredulously.

"I said, I didn't mean those things I said. I do think you and your shades are cool and . . . " you hesitate on the next part, "And I think that you should . . . be able to . . . you know . . . be with Jade." His expression doesn't change, still awestruck by what you said. "But that doesn't mean I still don't think you're a secretive asshole!" you add quickly. He laughs then, actually _laughs_ , leaving you awestruck now.

"This is the stupidest fight I've ever been in, and Rose and I have been in a lot of arguments before," he says. "You know what? I'll just forget about it the whole ordeal. I don't think anyone has ever called me out on my shit before, so I can see how you could be fed up with it. I mean, c'mon, Rose is immune. She's had to _live_ with it, for fuck's sake. Doesn't mean I'm not gonna change it, but yeah. And for the record, I still think you're an arrogant douche bag, so we're even." You grin this time, buck teeth poking out from your upper lip.

"I guess you can say that this is the start of a beautiful friendship." Dave stops laughing.

"Alright, don't ruin it, Egdork." You continue grinning anyway, still tending to his injured appendage. You finishing binding the gauze with tape and wrap it up as securely as possible in an attempt to halt the incessant bleeding oozing from the lesion. It seems to be working for the time being, and you place his sock and shoe back on his foot.

"There, good as new," you say halfheartedly, both of you knowing that unless it gets treated by someone who knows what they're doing, a lot more medical issues are going to pop up besides a bleeding leg.

"Do you smell that?" Dave asks, lifting his nose to the air. You inhale air, too, picking up on exactly the scent he's talking about. It smells as if something is burning, like the smell that used to waft from your stove burners when some crumbs of something had fallen underneath the metal and began burning when the burner had been turned on. You rise from the floor and peek out the window, gazing into the forest to see if you can see where it's coming from.

"Oh my god," your jaw drops almost instantly.

"What? What is it?" Dave pesters, unable to move from the couch.

"The forest from across here is _on fire_ ," you emphasize. Your first thought is,  _Jade and Rose could be in there right this very moment._

" _Jade and Rose . . ._ " you can hear Dave mumble, and his thoughts are exactly where yours are. The only way a fire could have been started like that is if someone in the area knew how to start one, and even though the possibility of it being someone else was probable, the last people you knew had most likely gone in there were Rose and Jade. And even if it had not been caused by them, the probability of them making it out of there was definitely slimmer than you would like.

"We need to leave, Dave," you tell him, turning back to face him.

"Dude, I don't know if I can--" he begins, but you cut him off.

"We'll have to cut our supplies down and find some flashlights in the house. I know you can't walk well, but we're gonna have to do it," you say urgently. He doesn't argue, understanding quickly that it is not decision that is non-negotiable, lifting himself off the couch carefully to find the supplies to sort through.

You make your way into the kitchen of the house, searching the drawers and cabinets for any signs of flashlights or anything of that ilk. You manage to find a flashlight not a moment later, making sure it lights. Checkmate. You also decide to check the medicine cabinets for painkillers for Dave's sake. You know for a fact that he's not going to be able to walk easily, even with your help.. You eventually find some Ibuprofen and some prescription drugs, deciding to just take all of them along. You never know what you might need. You hurry back to Dave who seems to have taken out anything he thought unnecessary. He leans against the couch, sword slung over his shoulder along with two back packs.

"We're not gonna get anywhere real fast with me in my condition," he comments as you pick up the other two bags.

"I know, but we've gotta try," you tell him. You stuff the pill bottles into the bags before swinging them onto your back. You offer your shoulder for support and Dave grabs a hold of it and pushes himself upward, leaning onto you for support. You press a couple of the pills into his hand. "I found you some pain killers." He takes them out of your hand and dry-swallows them, looking back to you when he's done.

"Let's go," he breathes steadily, and you lead him out the door, hoping that you'll be quicker than fire for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow, another chapter! 
> 
> I am so proud of myself for keeping up with this one and I really like writing it because it is going a lot differently that I had planned but I like that it is. I also am proud because I came up with the idea for this sitting in Latin 2 at the end of last year, and finally putting it in writing is a good feeling. I've been able to take it in a different direction and yadayadaydada I'm gonna stop ranting. 
> 
> [[I will have some good ol' fluff in the next chapter (yay) so I expect to be done with chapter six very soon. As you can tell, it's very hard to keep them all separated for long. Also, I know I've written John to be a little bit weaker, but I don't believe he's that way at all and don't worry, since he has all his negative feelings resolved and whatnot he'll definitely be able to be redeemed.]]
> 
> Anywho, enjoy the chapter and comments and kudos are always appreciated! :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Rose: Make breakfast.**

 

You put a pot on the stove to boil water in, throwing a dab of salt in the water to quicken the boiling point. The tea kettle whistles, a comforting sound alerting you that it was ready to be used for tea. You turn the burner off and pour the hot water into a mug, placing a green tea bag into the mug to let it saturate. You pour some of the water into another mug, open a paper bag and pouring the contents into it, stirring it with a spoon afterward. You take both mugs to the table, setting one in front of Jade. She peers at it for a moment when you hand it to her, giving a nod of recognition and thanks before returning to her favorite pass time of staring out the window.

She hasn't said much for the past couple of weeks. The two of you managed to find the half-way spot, taking refuge at a house close enough to it, but had failed to see any sign of Dave and John. Both of you agreed to wait for a month, a long time indeed, yet it seemed like not enough time. You should have made it to your destination in three days, but fate seemed to ordain it a different way. Neither of you liked the idea of waiting around, and you could tell Jade was practically itching with tension. But you agreed, a month.

_"And what if they don't come?"_

_"Then we carry on."_

Although you didn't show it much, it hurt you the same. Dave was your partner in crime, always had been. When you're a twin, it's hard to keep separate. Just as hard as when your folks split. You still managed not having him with you. It was just a lot more hollow, the feeling in your chest. It just doesn't feel right. You knew that when the time came, though, you would have to move on. That's just the way it is, now. You move on, because the world doesn't slow down just because you're upset. It keeps going, and you keep going.

"Any sign of them?" you ask. Jade doesn't move her head, but responds.

"Nope." You hate it being so silent for once, and you really wish you could do something to preoccupy the two of you, but it doesn't seem like anything could be as fulfilling as seeing a nerdy, ebony-haired kid and a lanky blond strutting away in the distance. Jade's afraid that if she doesn't watch the window for one second, she'll miss them and they'll be gone forever. Sometimes, you think she's right.

"What do you think is keeping them?" Jade shatters the silence.

"I don't know. Maybe they got lost?" you answer.

"Maybe one of them got bitten," she suggests, and you furrow your brows. You were not going to settle for any grim talk. You may be the pessimist and she the optimist, but right now you will not settle for any negative talk. It'll only lower morale and depress you and if you were going to last two more weeks with her she was going to have to find some way to be cheerful again. You rise from your chair and walk over to her side of the table, nudging her out of the chair.

"How about you go make the oatmeal? I'll keep watch." She shakes her stubborn head.

"No, I've got it." You groan, exhausted by her bull-headedness. You decide to push the chair over next to the stove. She puts up a fight, thrashing around in the chair.

"No! Rose, I've gotta watch and see if they come! You've gotta let me go back! Rose!" she fights, but you shake your head instead, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"You've got to stop sitting in front of that window. It'll only make you more depressed if you do." She pouts and you point to the stove. "Now please make the oatmeal. I promise I'll keep a good eye out for them. I mean, it'd be hard to miss a pair of awkward boys like them," you chuckle, donning your best attempt at a grin. Jade acquiesces, rising to make breakfast while you pull another chair into her former post at the window. You stare at the empty gravel road, dull and melancholy as the atmosphere in the house. You see no point to just endless gazing out a dirty window, but it seems to keep Jade sane. The thing that has kept you sane is an endless supply of books.

You've read at least thirty books within these two weeks. Some are pieces of literature you've read before, such as The Bell Jar, Catcher In The Rye, The Great Gatsby. Some of the books are self-help books and small manuals for different electronics and assembly. No matter what it is, you read it. You fear that you might run out of books, but you reassure yourself that won't be the case. Dave and John will make it, and you'll leave, content with having read almost every book that resides in the small cottage-like house.

"Here you go," Jade settles a bowl in front of you, standing nearby as to gesture you to leave her designated post. You pick up the bowl and bring it to your side, leaving the seat empty for Jade to reclaim it. She does, and you notice she's not eating anything.

"You're not eating?"

"I'm not hungry." You also take notice, while she has her intense staring contest with the window, that she's continuously fiddling with the red string, maybe out of habit, maybe for a reason only known to her. Some of her other strings have fallen off but she makes sure to keep this one secure. She has blue one on her thumb that she messes with just as often.

You ingest your oatmeal quickly, hungrier than usual. It's nice only having to worry about providing for two, or in this case now, one. You don't have to worry about rationing or anything, just eating like the world around you isn't in complete disarray. It's nice to pretend sometimes.

Once you've finished eating, you get up and place your dishes in the sink, leaning against the counter to ponder awhile. You try to think of a distraction, something Jade might be interested in. Your mind quickly formulates something that you've actually been meaning to pose to her, something your mind has been dwelling on. Your backup plan for if everything goes to shit. And if it does in two weeks, you'll just bypass the original plan and go straight to this one. Easy and simple as that.

"Jade, I know you don't want to look away from the window, but can you, please? I've been trying to put together a backup plan and I need you to help me construct it. I've had a good idea for it, but I just need someone to bounce the ideas off of. I've always heard it's best to have an alternate plan just in case things don't go as smoothly as desired," you tell her. Her eyes escape the glass for once, turning to you with uncertainty.

"I don't know . . . " she trails, but you plead, specifically with your eyes.

"Please? It would be a big help." Her lips thin as she thinks it over, running the idea through her mind. When her expression changes you know she's given in, and she rises from the table.

"Alright, I'll help. What is it we're going to do?" You wave her over towards the hallway to follow you to your designated room, the one in which you've taken the liberty of cramming all the books in the house into. You turn the brass knob of the door and step inside, scanning the room for the atlas you discovered. You end up having to turn over stacks of books to look for it, finally discovering it pushed underneath your bed. You pick it up and set it atop the bed, plopping down on it and patting beside you for her to sit.

"Okay, so I was thinking, the zombies are part human, right?" you begin.

"Yeah . . . " she answers, puzzled at your obvious remark.

"Well, what is something that slows down humans?" you ask. She ponders the question for a moment, mulling it over.

"I suppose I would have to say the cold would slow you down," she responds. You nod your head.

"Precisely. The cold would probably do the same. They like open areas, places where living things would thrive. I was thinking that if we find a place that is both freezing and secluded, find enough supplies to last us quite a while and then travel there, we'd be able to tack on plenty of years to our lifespan, don't you think? The only problem is, I'm not sure what the coldest place would be to go to. I've tried looking through all these books but I couldn't find anything. Do you have any ideas?" She taps her chin, looking up to the left to see if somewhere in her memory bank she might have a clue as to what freezing places exist in the U. S. Unfortunately for you, living in Texas your entire life left you with knowledge only of temperatures that would guarantee third degree burns if you stepped on asphalt in the middle of the day.

"I can only think of a few states within our limits that would guarantee that. I've heard Maine can get pretty darn cold, as well as places like Minnesota and Wyoming. All those northern states are going to get cooler weather, of course, but those ones in particular would be your best bet," Jade answers.

"Wyoming is fairly close but I would suppose if we want the seclusion our best option is Minnesota. Remind me not to forget to bring that atlas with us. We'll need it if we want to be able to get anywhere," you say. The conversation dies down after that and the two of you are left in an uncomfortable silence, eerily similar to the one you've been facing practically every day now.

"I know you think I'm crazy for watching that window, but it helps. I realize I haven't been my optimistic self much as of late, but I figure if I sit out by that window, it still gives me the little bit of hope I need to keep me going. I'm not depressed, I'm just worried and that's my coping mechanism for it, I guess," she interrupts the break, catching you off guard. This is the most you've spoken in weeks. You never thought of it that way, but you suppose it could be that little comfort of a smidgen of hope left. The window means the chance of their return. It was as simple as that.

"I understand," you admit to her. "Let's strike up a deal, though. I hate to see you have to sit in front of that window every day. You're my friend and you shouldn't feel like it's your obligation to sit down staring through a piece of glass. How about you and I take turns? You probably haven't gotten much sleep the last few days, so I'd like you to catch up on your sleep, eat, find something productive to do. It'll make you feel better, I promise," you smile warmly at her. The corners of her mouth tug upward into a grin, not the same, iconic Harley-grin you're used to, but enough to reassure you.

"Deal," she agrees, sticking out her hand. "As long as you promise that you'll do some activities with me." You chuckle and shake hands, finalizing the deal. For the first time, even without Dave and John, you felt like you were going to be okay.

 

**Dave: Vomit out the barely-existent contents of your stomach.**

 

You are such a mess. Every time you so much as move a muscle something goes wrong, as if fate were dealing a healthy plate of revenge to you on a silver fucking platter. You're not sure how you acquired a stomach bug so terrible, but it happened and it slowed down you and John by a billion percent. You didn't foresee meeting up with Jade and Rose ever again in your future. For all you know, they probably never stopped and just kept going, thinking there was no hope of you ever meeting up with each other again. You wouldn't blame them, either. You could, however, blame your shoddy immune system. Luckily enough for you, the cold seemed to be leaving. That didn't mean your body didn't want to hate you one last time and get rid of everything in your stomach that was barely there to begin with.

"Ugh, I hate myself," you groan, leaning over the pail set up for you in the bathroom.

"I hate you, too," John mutters from the other room, and you're almost half-tempted to dump the pail on him.

"Why don't you do something useful for once and get me some medicine or something?" you yell out to him.

"Yes, Honey, I'll go get you some medicine for your tummy-wummy," he mocks, and you really wish you could drown him in a lake. He's somehow shifted into his sarcastic phase of being stuck with you, and you can almost swear it's almost the same thing as being stuck with Rose on a normal day. Except it isn't as annoying.

"John, quit being a dick and get me a glass of water. Is that too much to ask?" he utters an elongated sigh and you roll your eyes. He returns a minute later with a glass full of water in one hand and a bag of crackers in the other.

"Here you go."

"Thanks," you take the items, placing them on the ground next to you. "Do you think we'll ever be able to get out of here?" John shrugs.

"Well, with you being the worst medical case I've ever seen, I have no idea. Unless we can get a hold of something that can get you to where we need to go without you having to walk, there's not much I can do."

"How about that wheelchair over there?" you point to the living room. John blinks, blank expression upon his face.

"Yeah, that'll do," he answers, and you can tell his mind gave him a mental slap for being idiotic. "Ugh, why'd you have to go and get injured and sick so that I have to be your caretaker? I mean, no offense, but I kind of wish I was the injured one," he whines.

"No, you don't wish that. You wish that both of us were in perfect condition and that this world wasn't infested with the undead and that we could be living our happy little lives we lead beforehand," you correct him.

"Was it really happy, though? Were you really happier before, or has it been the same, old, boring you've been experiencing your entire life?" The gravity of what John says hits you like a ton of bricks. Were you truly happy before? Has it even been reduced from before, or is it just a new level of the same shit you've had since you were born? Then again, aren't you, in some twisted sort of sense,

happier than before the outbreak?

"Good question," you remark. "So when do you think we'll get out of here? Shelter hopping has been thrilling, but I'm dying to see a certain pair of girls who I imagine feel the same." John pulls out the map from his pocket.

"We're right here," he points, "And we need to get

here," he moves his finger almost an inch away. "That's not entirely far away from here. If we leave in a few hours when it's light again, it'll take us maybe three hours to reach our destination?" You grin.

"That's what I like to hear. Man, when I see Rose I'm gonna give her a big, brotherly hug, and when I see Jade I'm gonna--" John cuts you off, placing his hand to his forehead.

"STOP. I don't need you to go on. Please, for the love of God, do not go on," he groans.

"What? I was just gonna say a big _friendly_ hug," you smirk at your own little joke.

"I retract my offer from before. You're not allowed to be with Jade," he says.

"No takesies-backsies," you say in a mock, childlike tone. "Besides, I don't think you're allowed to tell Jade who she can and can't be with. I'm pretty sure that's what got you in trouble with her in the first place." His face drops and you realize that he had long forgotten about the little altercation he and Jade had gotten into right before the massive zombie attack.

"Oh no, I never apologized to Jade! Great, now the last thing I ever told her was that she would always be alone and cold. I'm such a jackass!" he cries.

"I'm sure she's not going to hold that against you. I mean, it's been almost three weeks since we last saw each other. I don't think the thing she'll have on her mind is that you were a jerk. She'll probably be happy to see we're alive," you reassure John.

"Dave, what if that's the last thing I ever get to say to her? Do you know what terrible last words they are? I mean, what's the last thing you said to her?" he asks. You think back to that day and groan.

"I think I told her a dick joke to cheer her up," you admit.

"Dude!"

"What? How was I supposed to know those were going to be my last words I'd ever say to her?" You pause a moment to think about what you said. "Wait a minute, those won't be the last things we're ever going to say to her, or Rose, or whoever! We're gonna make it back to them, even if that means we have to chop off my left fucking foot!" A bout of silence falls in between the two of you before you hear John start giggling.

"I can't believe you told her a dick joke to cheer her up," he snorts.

"It's all I got," you smirk, joining in a little with the laughter.

"Did it work?" he raises his eyebrows.

"Believe it or not, it did. This shouldn't be a shock to you, but I have mad game with the ladies. They're all over me like a boy with a milkshake. They step up within a fifty mile radius to get a taste of my--" He cuts you off again.

"You've gotta know when to stop," he shakes his head.

"I can't stop, and I won't stop," you cross your arms.

"Stop quoting Miley Cyrus."

"Miley Cyrus quotes and dick jokes stop for no man," you tell him, full laughter exploding from your belly. It feels good to laugh again, and you're glad John is here. Sure, hanging round your sister is a blast and a half when you get along and Jade is great when you want someone to flirt with (which happens to be a lot of the time), but you've been due for a new bro to chill with. John was the perfect mixture of ironic nerdiness that you were searching for in a friend. You stop analyzing the thought, however. You, Dave Strider, had no time to get sentimental over finding a friend. Rose would probably do it for you.

"All joking aside," John deadpans, "I think we should try to leave soon, pack up and everything. We'll get out of here, I'll push you in a wheelchair for an ungodly amount of time, and 'Reunited' will play in the background as we race toward Jade and Rose in slow motion once we find them again."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Right after I vomit again," you lean over the pail, your stomach deciding to void itself. You, Dave Strider, are truly the picture of grace.

 

**Jade: Write a letter.**

 

You've kept it a secret that you do this, but ever since your Grandpa left you, you've written a letter to everyone you miss. Of course, you keep the letters to yourself and usually bury them after they're written, but you still like to write them. You were due to write out a few of them. You found some scraps of paper and took them to your room, using up your free time Rose has allotted you to write them out.You touch ink to paper and scroll whatever comes to mind, writing a total of five letters.

~

_Dear Becquerel,_

_I miss you, buddy. You know it's hard not having that billowy fur to always comfort me. You were my best friend, my other half. You were a part of me that I thought I wouldn't have to lose as quickly as I did. Part of me wishes, no matter how terrible I would've felt afterward, that I was the one to do it. Just so I could get one final goodbye. I know you're up there, now, watching over me like the loyal pup you were. You were a one-of-a-kind mutt, you know? Don't you ever forget that. Don't you let me ever forget that. Say hello to Grandpa and Mom and Dad for me, okay? I'm sure they're glad to see you again. I'm glad they get to have you again, because if anyone else should be able to have you, it's them. Eat a lot of moon pies for me, Bud, and don't forget, I will always love you._

_Love,_

_Jade_

~

_Dear Grandpa,_

_How is life up in the big sky? If you've met up with my parents and Bec, then I hope you're having a good time with them, too. I've missed you something awful. John tells me that I remind you of him, which wouldn't surprise me. I idolized you ever since I was a kid. All I wanted to be was exactly like Grandpa Harley, and I promise I won't ever disappoint._

_I just want you to know I'm doing okay and that I have the loveliest friends ever. I met Rose and Dave, and as opposite as they are from me and John, they complete our little family of four. We didn't ever really know how much we missed out on sarcastic quips in our life, and they make sure they provide it with us. I never really had very many friends before, not good ones like Bec was to me, but they are perfect. I never realized that I needed more of John's jokes and pranks until now, and Rose is the best girlfriend I ever had. She's quiet, but she listens, and I appreciate that about her. She's kind and always willing to be here for me. Dave is one of the coolest people I know, and continues to be that way. He makes me smile and always knows the right thing to say to me, no matter how ridiculous._

_I really wish you could be here to meet them all, to see John again, but I also know it's impossible. I know as long as you're up there watching me, it's just as good. I love you so much, to here and back._

_Love,_

_Jade_

~

_Dear Dave,_

_You and John are a bit overdue for your return, don't you think? I hope you're okay. I know John can be a pain in the butt sometimes, but once you get to know him, I'm sure you'll be the best of friends._

_I'm writing you this letter to make sure I remember the moments we shared, even though there weren't as many as I would've liked. My first memory of you is when we fought off zombies together the first time, and then I proceeded to hold you at gunpoint. Even though it wasn't the best meet and greet situation, it was still pretty memorable. I think after that, we somehow fell into a good friendship. I miss your dumb jokes and one-liners and that thick Texan accent of yours that you probably would never admit to having. If I never see you again, life will never quite be the same. I care about you an awful lot and if I do ever see you again, I'm gonna tell you that. Don't you be a stranger to me, ever, Dave Strider._

_Your Friend,_

_Jade Harley_

~

_Dear John,_

_John, I don't know how it happened, but you've become some sort of a brother to me. I never really knew I needed one until just now, when you stepped back into my life. You're my rock, my family. I can't believe we didn't get to see each other much before, and now we practically get to see each other all the time. Well, at least until recently. But that doesn't matter now. What matters is that I've seen you, and I'm glad to not only be your family member, but my friend. It would hurt my heart deeply never to see you again, and so I promise that won't happen. You and Dave will return and we will all be together again, one big happy family. I'd like that a lot. I hope you're having luck out wherever you are, and I hope that somehow, some magic thread of fate will pull you in the right direction back to us. We're a wreck without the two of you, even if we don't admit it to each other. Don't ever forget me, either, because I won't forget you._

_Love,_

_Jade_

~

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_It's been years since I've last seen you. I'm glad you weren't here long enough to witness this. It's terrible, really, and I don't know why we insist on trying to fight it. It's because even when the best option would be to give up, we just can't seem to. We can't ever seem to give up hope._

_I hope you're proud of me even though I never got to fulfill my dream and take over your company. I would've done it in a heartbeat, too. It meant everything to me that I would keep your legacy going. I wanted to do big things for you, and I still hope I can, even admidst the fray and bustle of life right now. I want you to watch over John, wherever he is right now, for me. He needs your support, even if he never got to know you really well. I want you to know that no matter how many years we're apart, we'll always be together. I love you so much and I hope you don't miss me too much up in that big sky of yours._

_Lovingly yours forever,_

_Your Jade_

~

You sigh and fold up each letter, placing them in the drawer in the bedside table. Life was exhausting when everyone kept leaving you left and right. You kind of expected it, now. The constant influx of people in your life seemed to be balanced out by the efflux of them, and sometimes you found it hard to want to want to hold onto them, to form bonds with them. It's not always easy to get attached to people when they leave so often. It tends to harden the heart a bit. No matter how hard you tried, though, you were certain you could care for every person you met, even if they irritated you. It had always been the moral you clung to the most, to love every human being. You kind of hate yourself for that strong sense of altruism you developed. It was always tough trying to fight against your own morals.

"Jaaaaaaaaaade," Rose calls out to you from the other room, breaking you from your intense internal conflict, "You should really come over here."

You lift yourself from the bed, hoping that whatever she has to say is truly important because you would rather just curl up into your covers and sleep. You were in the process of getting your sleep schedule back on track, a process that was moving a little more slowly than you would've liked it to. You meet her at the window, eyes still intensely focused on the window.

"What's up?" you ask.

"What do you see over there?" she points out the window towards the dull gravel road you've looked at almost a million times. You look out, a pair of figures strolling across the way.

"I see one awkward kid pushing another awkward kid in a wheelchair," you shrug, wondering what brought on the sudden 'I-Spy' game.

"Yes," she states firmly, and something in you jerks you out of your lulling trance, staring back out the window to get a second look.

"I see one awkward kid pushing another awkward kid in a wheelchair!" you exclaim excitedly, hitting Rose in the arm. "I _see_ them!" She smiles and nods, glad that you're finally catching onto her drift.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go--" she begins, but you've already sped off towards the door. She sprints behind you, opening it for you as you run out to the front yard, smiling as you get a good look at them, take in their voices.

"Okay, so where do you think we should go, Egdork? I'm telling you, it's not that far from here. We should just stop," Dave argues.

"Well, I'm the driver here and I say we keep going," John bickers back. Your lips curve into a big grin, and you call out to them.

"Are you two losers lost?!" you shout, and they turn immediately towards your voice, confusion turning to surprise in almost seconds.

"Jade?" they yell back in unison, and you laugh, your legs suddenly pulling you towards them to greet them. As the air brushes up against your face you feel salty tears of joy slide down your cheeks, your arms outstretching to pull the two idiots into your warm embrace. It's difficult to hug them when John is standing and Dave is in a wheelchair but you manage it, hugging them as tightly as possible.

"Jeez, Jade, it's almost like you missed us or something," John chuckles wrapping an arm around you.

" _Don't ever do that again_ ," you breathe, refusing to let them go. Dave places an arm around your waist, joining into the group hug.

"Wouldn't ever dream of it, Harley," he says, and you can hear him smirking through his intonation.

"Is anyone going to point out the fact that Dave is in a wheelchair?" Rose interjects from behind you. You release the boys from your bear-hug and join her in puzzlement.

"Yeah, that is kind of weird," you agree. John rolls his eyes.

"He's been so accident-prone, I swear. First he slices his leg open, then he gets a poison ivy rash, _then_ he starts vomiting--" John lists, but Rose raises her hand to stop him.

"We get it, he's a fragile egg that needs to be placed in a plastic bubble," she jests. Dave narrows his eyes at her from behind his glasses (or you assume he does).

"How'd you slice your leg open?" you inquire worriedly.

"Barbed fucking wire's what's up. Apparently these days you can't just install a burglar alarm. You've gotta go the whole nine fucking yards and wrap your brick wall with barbed wire like a fucking prison warden!" he exclaims, throwing his arms in the air.

"Alright, Chatty Cathy, quit complaining and let's wheel you into the house," Rose says.

"I'll push him," you offer, and John exhales an extensive sigh of relief.

"Thank fucking _God_. I am so tired of pushing this asshole around like I'm his nanny or something." You chuckle, moving behind the wheelchair to push Dave inside, following behind Rose and John down the long gravel path.

"So, I heard you're some sort of miracle whiz with magic fingers that can fix me right up?" Dave asks you.

"If you're talking about my medical knowledge, then yes, I can fix you up," you tell him.

"Good," he breathes. "Hey, Doc, you're not gonna have to amputate, are you?" You snort, shaking your head.

"Quit being a dork!" He chuckles alongside you, and you feel your heart fluttering within your chest.

"Not in a million years. See, this is what I missed," he tells you.

"What is that, exactly?" you inquire, reaching the homestretch.

" _You_." You feel your heart practically leap out of your chest, mind buzzing and processing the information. It feels almost unreal, the words being said to you. It puts you in a tizzy and you can feel your stomach flip flop in every direction, like it's a circus acrobat performing. Your tongue eventually finds the right words to say, and you utter them back softly.

" _I missed you, too._ " And it's as simple as that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so this chapter got out pretty quickly, and that's mainly because I've been having a lot of davejade feels that fueled my lightning fast writing (or typing, in this case). I've been on a roll and that's mostly because I have two papers due at the beginning of the week next week, so naturally I procrastinate like anyone else would if faced with the situation. Anyway, I'm glad I was able to write this so quickly, and I assume, unless I feel the need to write again, that this will be the last chapter I do for right now. I'll try and pick back up again in a couple of weeks, or perhaps when I have break and will be sitting around the house pretending like I might actually /do/ something, when we all know I'll really just be on my laptop as per usual. Such is the life.  
> Thanks to everyone still reading this and thanks for bearing through this because I know the chapters tend to be pretty long (I try and fit at least 5000 words per chapter, as my own personal goal). I love this fic and I hope you do, too!  
> [[Also, if you didn't know, Homestuck is gonna update soon! Isn't that terrible? I am not ready for this.]]


	7. Chapter 7

**Dave: Admire your newly patched up ankle.**

 

Damn, could Jade work wonders. She had brought you to her room so that she could stitch up the split skin. You just wish you stayed conscious the entire time and didn't pass out like the little baby you are. Needles were not your forte, and neither was your skin being pierced by them, either. Yet you came to soon enough when it was over, and she had cleaned up the whole wound and then propped up your ankle on a pillow for comfort. She was a wizard miracle goddess, to say in the least.

"Oh, you've awoken," she grins, cleaning up her area where she had accumulated medical supplies to fix you up. "Don't worry about your stitches, though. Ladies really dig a man with scars," she adds with a wink. _You wouldn't believe the scars I have, then,_ you think quietly to yourself.

"Oh, I don't need scars for the ladies to come after me and my Strider charm," you give her a little side smirk, which is complemented by her girlish giggle that follows.

"Yes, because you're soooooo cool!" she exclaims, and it takes you aback when she says it, because aloud from her lips it sounds genuine, like she actually believes it. You add that to the list of things you like about her. She extends her hand out to you, fist in a ball as if she's prepared to give you something. "Here, take this." A small, baby-blue pill drops onto your hand, medicine to relieve the pain.

"You've got it, Babe," you snap at her and form your fingers into a pistol. You swallow the pill immediately, taking a sip of the water from the glass on the table beside you. She rolls her eyes, and even though you hate to admit it, you can begin to feel your cheeks burn a little, and the same could be said from the rosy tint of her face.

You noticed that she's cleaned up since you last saw her, naturally, as you had done the same. She's wearing a loose-fitted, maroon tee with black skinny jeans. Although you liked her just as much when she was caked with dirt, clean certainly does her well. Her hair looks a tad more choppier than you remember, so you assume she cut her hair in order to get mats out of the tangled strands. She was definitely doing better than you on the attractiveness scale, that's for sure.

"Earth to Dave," she calls out to you, waving her hand in front of your face to gain your attention. You quit checking her out, glad that you are wearing shades to conceal your eyes (though your cheeks certainly weren't getting any less red, if not more than before.)

"Oh, uh, sorry. I was just . . . thinking about something," you apologize. "What's up?"

"I asked you how your travels have been, void of your medical dilemmas," she clarifies.

"Oh, they were decent. Not much happened besides the injuries and illnesses, unfortunately. John and I are pretty good bros now, I think. He doesn't hate my guts anymore, if that says anything," you reply.

"I'm glad to hear that," she says, pausing for a split second afterwards, as if contemplating something. "I'm sorry he's been so protective since we first saw each other again. He feels like it's his duty to watch over me, even though I'm old enough to take care of myself. I just wish he didn't have to feel like he has to be my guardian. I bet it's as difficult for him as it is for me," she explains, the corners of her mouth tugging downward as she glances toward the ground. You don't know why you do it, but you impulsively reach for her hand and grab it, tracing your thumb over the delicate, bronze skin atop it, gazing at her straight in the eyes.

"I know it's difficult, and I'm not saying he's in the right, but I understand where he's coming from. Even though you didn't exactly grow up with him, you're all he's got left now, and he'll do anything to keep it that way. He's practically your sibling now, whether you want him to be or not. Trust me, even though we don't like to show it sometimes, sisters mean the world to brothers. If anyone ever hurt them, you'd bet our world would fall apart, so we try our best to keep them safe, even if we know they can handle themselves. Think of it as having your own personal bodyguard. You'll always have someone to back you up, no matter what," you attempt to reassure her, and by the gleam in her eyes, it seems to have worked.

"Thanks, Dave. You always know the right things to say to me," she gazes at you, her expression soft. It shifts a moment later as her eyebrows scrunch together, her face scrutinizing yours. She removes her hand from yours and slowly reaches upward, stopping for only a moment.

"Do you mind if I . . . ?" she asks, and you understand immediately what she means. Normally, you wouldn't allow anyone to do that, but you make an exception for her, only for her. You nod your head and she continues reaching, carefully moving your shades from your face and placing them atop your head.

"I like them better this way. I like being able to see you." Her warm breath caresses your skin and you realize that her face is only inches away from yours, and you feel your throat run dry. Your fingers end up brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face, getting caught in the smooth tangles of it. You suddenly forget the world around you, your mind only focused on her, and how gorgeous she looks, and how much you want to kiss her--

"Jaaaaade?" A sudden rap from the door brings you back down to earth, making you sit back against the bed instantly. You remain in a sort of a trance, a haze of pleasure still washed over you. By the expression on her face, you can tell she felt the same shock, as if jerking awake from sleep suddenly.

"Come in," Jade calls back, her breath slightly shallow. The door slides open and John pokes his head in, a look of guilt worn up his face. _Damn you, Egbert. Fucking cockblock._

"Can I talk to you about something?" She looks back to you briefly as if to get permission, but then makes the decision for herself.

"Sure," she nods, and he grins a tiny bit.

"Excellent. Meet me out in the living room." His head disappears and the _thump_ of the door closing is heard, and Jade rises from the bed, turning to look at you.

"We'll talk later, okay?" She turns to exit the room, but decides against it last minute, pressing her lips to your cheek and then disappearing quickly out of the room, closing the door behind her. You rub the side of your cheek lightly, tracing over where her lips met flesh.

You, Dave Strider, were head over heels for Jade Harley, there was no doubt about that.

 

**John: Apologize.**

 

"You wanted to talk?" Jade asks, meeting you at the couch in the living room. You notice that her face is flushed, her eyes still caught in a semi-whimsical haze, a state of which you can only accredit Dave for.

"Yeah, if that's alright," you respond. You pat the cushion next to you, motioning for her to sit down. She lands on the spot with a delicate _plop_ , her moss eyes focused directly on you.

"Listen, John--" she begins, but you stop her to interject.

"No, Jade, let me say something first. I know I've only made your life more difficult than it needs to be and it's not fair to you. I felt so bad I never got to apologize to you before we got separated, I mean, we almost--" you attempt to explain, but she cuts you off this time.

"John, it's okay," her kind eyes greet yours, and you can tell she is being sincere. You always envied that about Jade, her ability to be sincere and kind to people, even when they've treated her wrong. It made her genuine, real. "I realize that you were only doing that to protect me because you love me. We're all each other has left in the world, and we shouldn't spend that time fighting. We should spend that time together as a family. You're like a brother to me, now, and I love you, John."

You're set in shock by her words and she pulls you into a warm, tight embrace. You return the gesture, hugging her tightly back. You feel tears brim in your eyes, and although you dare not let them out, you're so glad for the moment. Ever since you lost your own sibling, it had been tough. Jane was your older sister, and you had tried your best to save her, but she just happened to slip from your grasp. You found you could never forgive yourself for that, but with Jade around, it almost seemed easier. It was like you were given a second chance, and there was no way you were going to mess this one up.

"I love you too, Jade," you grin, buck-teeth and all. When you break from the hug, she sits back in her spot, her caring face quickly turning to anger as she punches you in the arm.

"Ow! What the hell did you do that for?!" you exclaim, nursing the now-bruised bicep.

"That was for before," she beams, triumphant. You don a puzzled expression on your mug.

"I thought you said it was okay!?" you gripe. She crosses her arms, looking away.

"It is. _Now_ ," her eyes peer back, a mischievous smile creeping across her face. The arm still hurts but you chuckle anyway, shaking your head at her.

"You're the worst."

"If by worst, you mean _best_ , then yes, I am," she grins cheekily. "Now if you excuse me, I have an amputee to go attend to," she rises from the couch, dusting her pants off.

" _Amputee?_!" you exclaim. When her eyes fall on you, you realize it's a joke. "Oh, you were kidding. Good, the last thing we need is him to be an amputee so we can transport him all across the U.S. while he throws insults at us," you say.

"Is that what he did the entire time?" she asks.

"Yes. I am not exaggerating when I say entire. How you can put up with him, I don't know," you reply.

"He just likes me better," she chirps, bounding off towards her room once again and disappearing behind the door.

A wave of fatigue washes over you and you stretch and yawn, removing yourself from the couch. You're puzzled over what to do next; there's only two bedrooms in the house, and your cousin and new best bro are occupying it (this will take some getting used to) and Rose is occupying the latter. Where do you go? You're not sure if you'd be comfortable sharing a bed with Rose, and she'd probably feel the same. You decide to go through with it anyway, because fuck it, you're tired, the world has basically ended as you know it, and you just want to sleep on a goddamn bed while you can.

You walk up to her room silently rap your knuckles on the door, hoping that you aren't already disturbing her.

"Come in," she answers from the other side of the door, and you twist the brass door knob, pushing it open so that you can poke your head through. When she looks up, her eyebrows raise, as if you were not the person she was expecting to see. She is sitting in bed with her back against the bed post, the blankets covering her lower half. In her hands lies a book, called The Bell Jar.

"Bet you were expecting Jade," you chuckle softly. She grins at you, and for some reason you feel your heart leap a little.

"No, it's fine. What brings you here?" You stuff your hands in your pocket, shuffling your feet around.

"Well, since Jade and Dave have decided to take up the room next door, I was wondering if it'd be cool if I slept in here with you? I know it's a bit of a weird request, but--" you begin, but she cuts you off.

"Say no more. You're welcome to stay in here with me anytime," she scoots over, patting the empty space beside her. You awkwardly join her in bed, kicking your shoes off before crawling underneath the covers. You catch her glance at you for a split second, and you wonder what's going through her mind.

Out of the entire group, Rose seemed to be the most withdrawn, not having any conflict arise with her. You wonder for a moment what it'd be like to be in Rose Lalonde's shoes, watching the world from afar and taking notes, learning tips and tricks for herself on how to set herself apart from everyone else. You figure she probably would never go with the flow, just sort of run her own river to course through. She was an observer rather than a participant, and you could see the appeal. No commotions, no distractions. Just silence.

In the dim of the lamp in the room, you could finally begin to see the subtle beauty that Rose hid from the world. Of course you thought she was pretty damn gorgeous, there was no doubt about that. This . . . this was different. The light seemed to dance on her pale skin as if they were one and the same. Her vanilla blonde hair glowed and her deep blue eyes were almost a shade of violet. It was like seeing raw footage of her,  no facade of daily life apparent upon her face. Rose Lalonde was breathtaking.

"You know, I can see you staring," she comments, not taking her eyes off the pages of the book. Your cheeks flare up and you turn away from her on your side, setting your glasses on the bedside table and closing your eyes tight in order to lull yourself to sleep.

 

**Jade: Talk about undisclosed feelings with Dave??**

 

You promised you would at least let Dave know how you felt, even if it was clear that the two of you were pining after each other. You really wish you did get to kiss him, and sure, you could, but the moment had disappeared, leaving immediately when John had knocked on the door. Either he had no idea what was going on behind closed doors, or he knew perfectly well when the best time to knock was. You shed the thought from you mind, remembering that he was trying to be better about not getting in your way of whatever it was you and Dave had going on.

What did the two of you have going on? Did Dave even know what was happening? Was he shamelessly flirting with you to get in a few end-of-the-world kisses? It was a common concept, that no one wants to die a virgin, right? You couldn't care less about the whole subject, but you also trust Dave enough to know it's not true. He would never hurt you like that, not in a million years.

"Did you fix things with John?" Dave asks as you reenter the room, plopping down on the bed next to him.

"Yup! The crack has been sealed once again, no charges being pressed. We can all be one happy family again," you chirp, swinging your legs onto the mattress, stretching your feet out like Dave.

"Good to hear it," his flash of a smirk appears, which happens to linger only when you're around. An awkward bout of silence arises between the two of you and you find yourself fiddling your thumbs, scanning your mind for appropriate conversation topics. Something in the back of your mind screeches, _Tell him! Tell him!_ and you oblige to it, no matter how nervous you might be. Your eyes scan the floor as you muster up the courage to utter the words from your mouth.

" _DaveIreallylikeyoualot,_ " the words tumble off your tongue in a jumble, still discernible though. You let out a sigh of relief, finally able to get that off your chest, but when you turn back to him to see his reaction, he's knocked out.

 _Damn sleeping pills,_ you think to yourself. _Working too damn well all the time._

Part of you doesn't hate that he's asleep, though, because he looks peaceful, as if this is the first, restful amount of rest he's received in quite some time. You sigh, raising yourself from the bed to grab a blanket from the closet, draping the warm, knit wool over him to cover him for the night. His glasses fall from his hung head to the bridge of his nose abruptly, causing him to shift in his sleep. You remove them from his face and place them on the table next to you, deciding to do the same with yours after you shut the light off to join him in dreamland.

You flick the switch and place your spectacles on the table, kicking off your shoes and crawling under the covers next to him, placing only a slight bit of space between the two of you. You were always a cold person, no matter what temperature you lived in, and he radiated warmth like a lit fireplace, the flames delicately kissing your skin. You wish you could press your face up against him again, curves matching his like a pair of puzzle pieces perfectly aligned, just like you had back in the forest so long ago.

It felt like an eternity, when really it had only been a few weeks time. Time seemed to slow down when he was around, space between the two of you wearing thinner and thinner with each interaction you had. Perhaps, one day, the gap would close, and you could remain like that forever. Perhaps was such an indefinite word, and you hated the thought of probability and chance. You always wanted the definite, the concrete. The world didn't seem to want that for you, giving you spontaneity that you could never catch up with.

As your eyelids droop heavy with fatigue, you grin with the satisfaction that he was _here_ , right next to you, solid. You could count on him being your definite, always coming back to you no matter what. And that was all you needed, right now.

 

**Rose: Dream.**

 

_You find yourself back in the forest, holding that same damn knife walking alongside that same fucking dog you see every time you close your eyes. His snowy fur is stained crimson, but he is in no pain. He just barks, barks like you're supposed to know what he's talking about, leading you through an endless maze of roots and trees deep into the forest, without a way out._

_"Ruff!" he barks firmly, his chartreuse eyes planted firmly on yours._

_"I don't know what you want," you sigh, tired of the endless, indiscernible communication with the mutt. You were always a cat person, no interest in dogs whatsoever. Yet this dog seemed to want to follow you around, as if you belonged to him. It felt wrong that he did this, like he belonged to someone else. The feeling wells in your stomach, but you keep treading through the endless forest, miles and miles and miles._

_Suddenly, your feet freeze in place, and it's almost as if they're paralyzed, stuck in time. The dog looks up at you again, this time eyes hollow, as if staring into the vacuum of space. He nudges the hand that holds the blade, spinning in circles and lying flat on the ground, belly up. You almost think that he wants you to pet him, but no, it isn't that simple, and the blade grows closer, and closer, and closer to him, dark vines consuming you as you try to pierce the skin of this innocent dog, and you try to scream but the words just cannot escape your lips--_

"Rose! Rose, calm down! It's alright!" Your eyes shoot open and you're pressed against John's chest, your throat sore, forehead broken into a slick sweat. You pant, trying to gain your breath back again, digging your nails into John's back and burrowing your head into his shoulder. Your lips find the words this time, and they spill out in a hurry, sliding off your tongue with such ease.

"Don't let me go back to sleep," you breathe, still gasping for break. "Please don't make me go back to the forest." John smooths down your hair with the rough of his fingers, pressing you closer to him as he rocks the two of you back and forth gently. 

"Shhh, I won't. I won't let you go back there. You won't go back to that forest." When you sniffle you realize that you've been sobbing, the shoulder of John's shirt drenched with tears.

"What happened?" you mutter wearily, body bobbing back and forth, oscillating.

"You were screaming in your sleep. I'm surprised it didn't wake Dave and Jade up," he chuckles, attempting to make light of the situation. You wrap yourself tighter against him, listening to the calming lull of his heart beating rhythmically inside his chest.

"Please don't tell Dave," you plead.

"I'm sworn to secrecy," he says, brushing hair out of your face.

"Let's not talk anymore," you hum softly, and he nods his head, holding you in place on your bed, not daring to let you go for even a minute.

 

**Dave: Wake up.**

 

Sunlight pours in through a slit in the curtains of the window, resting on your cheeks to rustle you awake. You've strewn yourself across the bed in the middle of the night, head supported by the one and only Jade Harley, her arm lying on your chest while your head lies on hers. You consider not moving, because you really don't want to, but you've gotta piss real bad (and you're also pretty sure you wouldn't want Jade to see your morning glory in all its, ah, glory.)

You carefully maneuver yourself off of Jade, sliding out from underneath her arm. She turns onto her side in response, eyes shut, peaceful as ever. You quickly reach over and brush a stray strand of hair out of her face before exiting the room into the hallway, finding the bathroom and relieving yourself. The task itself is a bit of an undertaking, what with your foot still in shitty shape, but Jade's medical attention had helped the pain reduce tenfold from what it was before, only making walking a minor irritation.

You flush the toilet and wash your hands with the remaining soap, taking a moment to appreciate all the luxuries you've been granted, luxuries that will quickly disappear just as they have appeared in front of you. For the first time in a while, you look at yourself in the mirror, and you're shocked at what you see.

You had seemed to have forgotten your face, what you look like. Your eyes seem two shades redder than they were before, and your vanilla blond hair has become shaggy and grown a couple inches since you last had it cut. You seem to have even forgotten you had light freckles that graced the apex of your cheeks, you being the only one in your family to have the trait. You run the faucet, sticking your fingers underneath the waterfall until it turns ice cold, splashing your face with it, scrubbing the dirt off. You rub your skin with the hand towel, and when you look up, you are an entirely new man. Or just the same, scrawny kid now with a semi-washed face.

"Dave, quit hogging the restroom," rapid knocking erupts from outside the door, the shrill tone that can only belong to a Miss Rose Lalonde piercing the air. You turn the knob and swing the door open.

"Can't a guy have some time in the bathroom to himself without getting yelled at every five seconds?" you ask her, scooting out of the door frame to let her through. She turns to face you, one eyebrow raised and a questionable look upon her face. When she comes to a conclusion, her mug distorts into disgust.

"That's revolting, Dave. I mean, really, in the middle of an apocalypse you feel the need to do that?" Your jaw drops.

"That's not what I meant! Get your mind out of the fucking gutter, Lalonde," you remark, ditching her at the door to return to your own door, hoping to slide back into bed with Jade soundlessly. When you're back inside, semi-disappointment meets you as her gaze meets yours, the curves of her lips drawing upwards at the sight of you. She stretches, pushing her arms in the air above her, the skin of her stomach exposed sending shivers down your spine. She turns her hand palm-up, gesturing with her fingers for you to come towards her.

"Let me check out that leg of yours," she says with a yawn, patting the bed. You do as she instructs, extending the left leg out to her so she can prod and examine it to see if it meets her standards.

"What's the prognosis, Doc? You think I'm gonna live to see another day?" you drawl dramatically, leaning your hand back into your forehead for theatrical event, as if you were placed in a modern day soap opera. She playful pushes at your arm, giggles quickly turning into tiny snorts.

"Stop!" she says through a fit of laughter, deadpanning a moment later. "Okay, I think you're going to be okay, Mr. Strider. Your leg is showing no signs of infection so far and it looks like any swelling has decreased since last I saw it. We should be able to pack up and head back on the road once again, soon," she chirps, and you frown, almost forgetting about your original destination. You had almost wished that this was your destination, and that you could just huddle up next to Jade whenever the moment arose, which would be all the time. You could picture living out your days in this house, so long as she was next to you.

"Cool," is your only response, or the only good one you can muster, seeing as how the rest of your brain had been scattered somewhere else, thinking about another situation, another time.

"Oh, here are your shades, by the way!" she jumps up, startling you a bit. She places the glasses gingerly back into your hand. You hadn't noticed in your piss-stricken haze that they were no longer in their usual place, and you were very much so glad to have them back.

"Thanks," you acknowledge, placing them back, adjusting them on the bridge of your nose. "Now I can feel cool again."

"You were already pretty cool to begin with," she chuckles, and goddamn if that doesn't make you want to kiss here right here and now. Hell, you even consider the idea, but like the Usain Bolt she is, she has disappeared from your side, already at the door.

"Let's get breakfast," she points at the door, and you sigh, pushing yourself up from the bed and ambling over toward her. When you meet her at the door, you jump when you feel something cool touch your fingers. It's a strangely familiar feeling, and you realize quickly that Jade is holding your hand. You feel your cheeks heat up, your breathing becoming unsteady.

 _Calm down, Cool Guy,_ you think to yourself, but it's too late.

Jade is holding your hand.

_Jade is holding your hand._

"C'mon, Dave," she tugs you back into the real world, both literally and figuratively, and you follow her out the door, trailing slightly behind like a puppy would it's master. Boy, did she have you in the choke hold of your life.

You notice that her palms and fingers remain continuously frost-bitten, even amongst your boiling, calloused ones, even in this stupid, Texas heat. Was her normal body temperature just always this cool? You laugh to yourself, because, in a way, Jade was cooler than you. You weren't complaining.

When you step into the kitchen with her, John looks up at the two of you, his hair in disarray from sleep, as if the tornado from The Wizard of Oz paid it a little visit on its way to Kansas. He has a mug of something, probably coffee from the smell of it, and while his eyes are still sort of glazed over from remaining fatigue, he's able to notice the two of you holding hands. He raises his brows, giving you a sort of smug look about his face, and you can only think about beating the stupid expression  _off_.

"Morning," he croons. His expression throws you off your game, and you release Jade's hand in a knee-jerk reaction. You'd forgotten that she was also the one helping you balance, and your feet buckle under you, knocking you to the floor. She turns to face your embarrassment, not upset, but scrutinizing you.

"Jeez, Dave, if you didn't want to hold my hand you could've just told me." You hear John snigger from around the table and watch as Jade walks away, leaving you to fend for yourself. Your mind shouts, _No! No!_ , lingering for the feeling of her hand in yours again, but, like an idiot, you put yourself in this situation. You done fucked up, Son.

"Hmm, having fun down there, Dave?" Like clockwork Rose is in the right fucking place at the right fucking time, only here to further your own embarrassment. You decide to play it out now, like any cool guy would. You remain face-down on the carpet, owning up to your own ironic, moronic charade.

"You bet, Rose. I'm having just the jolliest of fucking vacation down here on the floor. Shit is nice, it's got five stars and you even get your own bed. You guys don't even have to worry about taking me with you to that camp now, because I'm going to live down here on the fucking floor for the rest of my life," you jubilate sarcastically, voice muffled by carpet.

"Good, I was worried you had gone completely sane," she remarks, jabbing you lightly in the stomach before walking away. "Now get up so we can discuss our next course of action over a hearty breakfast," she adds. You lift yourself from the ground, face red from where the carpet pressed against your skin. You hobble into the kitchen and start digging around in the cabinets to find some food. You find a bag of Doritos tucked away inside one of them and pull it out, ecstatic that the bag has been left untouched. You search the refrigerator for apple juice and, lo and behold, as fate would allow, there is some _GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKING APPLE JUICE IN THIS BITCH._

"Dave, are you . . . are you _crying_?" John appears by your side, amused by the tender moment you are having with the snacks. You ignore him, wiping the tears away from your cheeks.

"I think I can die happy now," you sniff, huddling the Doritos and apple juice close to your chest in case anyone anywhere had any thoughts about taking the goods away from you. You seat yourself at the table and you notice Jade's bewilderment, and Rose's disinterest.

"Stop being a drama queen, Dave," she sighs, nose buried in a book.

"Is that what you're having for breakfast?" Jade asks, incredulous. You shoot her a side-glance.

"Don't you dare dis the Doritos and apple juice. Shit's my comfort food." She backs off returning to her own meal of peanut butter crackers.

"Alright John," Rose calls to him, closing her book, "Get your ass over here so that we can strategize." He hurries himself over to the table, quickly stuffing his mouth with fruit loops.

"So here's the plan," you start, taking a swig of the juice before continuing. "I was thinking we get a car, and then we go." Rose rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, we got that, Dipshit. I meant how are we going to go about this? Do any of us actually drive?" Out of the three of you, one hand raises itself reluctantly, that hand belonging to John.

"I was licensed not too long ago," he says sheepishly.

"Well, it's not a matter of whether or not you're licensed. We just need someone who drives decently," Rose corrects him.

"Don't look at me. I can barely use my foot as is," you interject.

"I lived on an island most of my life, and there weren't exactly any roads there, so I don't think I would be the best choice to rely on for driving purposes," Jade chimes in. Rose turns towards John.

"I've never driven before. Looks like you're our driver." He sighs.

"Fiiiiine. But there better not be any bickering or backseat driving, because I need absolute concentration when I'm on the road."

"Alright, Mom, we'll try to keep it down in the car for your sake," you jest. You turn towards Jade, hoping that she'll understand by your waggling eyes brows what you're trying to signify. She's confused at first, but when you notice her mouth contort into a smile, you know she's all in. Nothing like a family road trip to get things going.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I can't believe I'm already on chapter 7 of this fic. I've been typing like crazy, so the fact that I have this chapter out is suddenly no surprise to me. Oh well! I'm not sure if I'll have another chapter out soon, but I said this last time so whatever goes, goes. Just think of it as a little present to celebrate the giga un-pause. Hallelujah! This one has more davejade feels, and I decided to throw johnrose because what the heck. I wasn't going to, but it seemed absolutely adorable and i just felt like it made sense. Of course, it won't be as big in the story as davejade is (even then, that's not the biggest part of the plotline), but it'll still be there. So fun times are to be had.  
> Anyway, please read and enjoy!


	8. Chapter 8

**John: Shut up and drive.**

 

When you originally "volunteered" to be the one driving, you did not fully realize what driving would entail, exactly. Unbeknownst to you, Dave and Jade had pre-planned the car activities that would be happening, such as shouting, _"Are we there yet?!"_ at least a dozen times per minute, poking you in the shoulder, starting sing-a-longs (which, to Dave and Jade's surprise and your own dolor, Rose participated in), and just in general being the miserable shits that they truly are. The sad part was, they managed to fit all of that into only an hour, meaning you had a couple more miserable hours to keep driving with the possibility that you might be driven to insanity.

You glance in the rear-view mirror and notice that Dave and Jade are both asleep, Jade pressed tightly up against Dave's chest, his arms wrapped around her torso. You were almost totally okay with the relationship now, even more so since Dave was your new best bro and it meant that you could tease him about it constantly. If you had a phone, you would totally take a picture of them to hold as blackmail against him, but alas alack.

You glance over and notice Rose nodding off to sleep in the passenger seat, an occurrence that cannot happen while she is your GPS at the moment.

"Rose," you call out to her, and she jerks awake, sitting straight up.

" _Huh what_?" she asks, yawning as her mouth forms into a perfect little 'O'.

"You were falling asleep," you point out to her, and she rubs her eyes, turning to glance back at you.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. I've just been tired because, well, you know," she dodges a straightforward answer, but you understand the implications of it immediately.

"I get it. Do you want me to pull over and wake one of those idiots up? I'm sure they got plenty of sleep," you gesture back to Dave and Jade. Rose shakes her head.

"No, I'll be fine, trust me. Besides, neither of them would be as good of company with you as I would." You can't argue with that logic.

"Yeah, well, I can say the same for the tired level," you echo her momentary yawn. "I certainly can't wait for another hour and a half to pass until we reach our destination.

"Yeah, about that . . . " Rose trails, and you raise your eyebrow.

"What about it?"

"It's going to be a couple more hours than I thought. It's always hard to gain an approximation of how long a trip by foot might be and what with unfortunate circumstances cropping up, we've been off track more than we want to be," she explains.

"Okay, well, if I start veering we're probably gonna have to pull over," you tell her, and she nods.

"Sounds fair to me." You wish that all four of you had exceptional driving skills, but a kid with an injured leg and an islander were not the ones you would want commandeering a hunk of metal death. A thought occurs to you then.

"How come you can't drive?" You expect some sort of defensive spiel about how she would make a better navigator instead, but you get a more satisfactory, slightly upsetting answer.

"I'd rather not. I was in a car accident not too long ago and it still hasn't sat with me correctly."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," you apologize, but she holds up her hand.

"No, it's fine. You couldn't have known I had experienced that. I mean, hell, I didn't even tell Dave about it. I payed out of pocket a lot of money just to get it fixed. I walked home from the mechanics and told Dave that all it needed was some touching up and an oil change, and he didn't question it." It tugs at your heartstrings that she has to go through this sort of shit, but then again, all of you had some sort of thing that was holding you back. One common one, and then some unknown ones that you kept mostly hidden amongst yourselves. This one she decided to share with you, and you felt pleased with the fact that you could be her confidant. You'd be willing to sit down and listen to her any day.

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?" you tread upon it lightly, not trying to press into her matters.

"You're fine, I'm willing to tell." You hear her take a breath for a moment, as if collecting her thoughts, then she begins her story.

"I was driving awhile back, not too long after I had gotten my license. It was a small thing, but my mind had just drifted for a second . . . I got out with barely even a scratch, but all the while I thought what if it hadn't been just a tree I crashed into? What if it had been another person, or what if the damage had been greater . . . I don't mind being in cars, I had to get over that because of the situation we're in right now, but I can't say it doesn't still make me anxious. It's taken a lot of cognitive training to allow myself to be at the sort of comfort level I'm at right now," she finishes explaining, and you are at a loss for words. What do you say to her? _Sorry about the accident, Rose. At least you didn't die._ That's a terrible thing to say, and if you hadn't been using your better judgement you might've just said it anyway. You were trying to be sensitive, though, and you just chose your best answer, whether it be terrible or not.

"Well, I know I can't do much for you, but you know I'm always gonna be here." _Shit that sounded cheesy._

"Thank you, John. That means a lot to me, actually. It's nice being able to talk to someone about it." You feel a triumphant resounding of trumpets chiming together in your head, telling yourself that you did something right for once. It was a nice feeling, for sure.

"All fears are pretty stupid, anyway," you tell her.

"Yes, that is one way to describe them. Debilitating would be another word, if paired with ludicrous," she chuckles.

"Do _you_ have any ludicrous fears?" you ask her.

"Of course I do. It's human nature to have at least one common fear. Naturally, my fears extend out towards the uncommon, but you know."

"You've gotta share them, Rose," you urge, and she sighs.

"Space."

"What?"

"I have a fear of space."

"So like, is it a thing where you don't like to be out at night or whatever?" you question her.

"No, not like that, Imbecile. I don't have a fear of the dark. I just have a fear of space. You know, the vastness of it, the anonymity of it . . . Stuff like that," she explains. "Now it's your turn."

"Oh, uh," you scramble, trying to place together your thoughts. "Geese."

"And you were questioning _me_ for being weird?"

"No, Rose, you don't understand. They're the devil's spawn," you lower your voice. She laughs.

"Okay, fair enough. I can admit to both being equally stupid."

"How come you don't share any of this stuff with Dave?" You notice her shift awkwardly in her seat, her gaze shifting to the window immediately away from your own. You know you've messed up this time, for sure, but she proceeds to further conversation, even without slight eye contact.

"I like to let Dave keep to a quota of one person when it comes to worrying, and that position always seems to be filled with someone else," she confesses, her voice much quieter than before.

"I'm sure if you told him it'd be okay," you attempt to reassure her, but she shakes her head.

"You don't know Dave like I do, John. You've experienced how high maintenance he is already, and that's just surface level impedimenta," she says. "He's a much more complicated individual, and it certainly didn't help when--" She hesitates to finish the sentence, as if withholding vital information. "Nevermind. Let's just leave it."

"I think you're taking your brother entirely too much for granted," you mumble, aware that she might be able to hear you. It bothers you that she feels she can't tell her own twin the things that haunt her, or barely anyone for that matter, first of all. For a person who's so inept at listening to the endless problems of other people, she sure likes to dodge her own. Secondly, you truly were curious as to what it was about Dave that she was hiding, you're only lead being the fact that he's complicated, which you already knew. Just how complicated, though?

You notice Rose has now taken the liberty of ignoring you, which you don't blame her for since it was only warranted. You were trying to press your nose further and further into her business when it didn't really have the right to be sifting through it in the first place. You hope she's still in tune with her navigation duties, because you can't imagine driving the four of you would be successful by yourself without you driving straight into your own doom. You had a habit of doing that, sometimes.

 

**Dave: Wake up.**

 

You jerk awake suddenly, the moving lull of the car seemingly halted. Your mind is buzzing and your chest is moving up and down rather rapidly. You realize that the sky has fallen dark around you, meaning it's nighttime. Jade shifts slightly against your torso, responding to your sudden movements.

"Are we there yet?" she says with a yawn, rubbing her face into your shirt.

"Nope," John responds. "We're about two hours away from the final destination."

" _What?_ " you press with sudden confusion. "Shouldn't we have made it in like, three hours?" Rose shakes her head.

"No, it's much longer than we anticipated. I miscalculated the distance a bit, so my apologies there." You throw your head back and groan.

"When can't we ever just reach where we need to be without stopping a billion times and getting side-tracked?"

"Well, we're just going to have to make the best of it now, aren't we, Dave?" Rose retorts.

"I have to pee!" Jade whines.

"Then grab a flashlight and go," John tells her.

"I'm not going out there alone! I'm not gonna have a zombie get me while I'm going to the bathroom!" Jade exclaims.

"Well then who's gonna go with her?" John asks, and suddenly his and Rose's attention is turned towards you.

"Oh _hell no_ , that's awkward as fuck. Why can't Rose take her? I'm honestly not seeing why this has to be a fucking huge ordeal," you refuse, but the car remains silent, as if everyone's made their minds up.

"Fiiiiiine," you grunt, moving Jade off your chest carefully. "I might as well go take a piss, too. C'mon Jade, let's make it quick. John, you need to turn on the high beams so that we can see shit." He does as you instruct and illuminates the scary-as-fuck forest around you. You and Jade unlock the doors of the car, stretching your arms, legs, and back as soon as you're out. You and she close your doors gently, making your way to the trunk. With the press of a button, it pops open, lighting up your supplies. You find two flashlights, a roll of toilet paper, and your weapons, gathering them and placing them on your person accordingly. You hand Jade one of the flashlights and she takes it gingerly out of your grasp. You then hobble your way into the thick of the forest, not too far inward but enough so that Jade can find a decent spot to relieve herself.

"I need you to shine the flashlight here," she points to the ground. "But don't look!"

"Jade, I'm not going to watch you--oh whatever," you say, averting your eyes as you wait for her to finish. You hum impatiently while you stand, kicking at the ground with your feet. She emerges from the bushes a moment later.

"Alright, you can go now!" You perform a tiny two-finger salute off your forehead and ditch her so you can have a go at relieving yourself in the bushes. You realize you really did have to go, the effect of chugging a two-liter coke in the car towards the beginning of the trip.

"So, did you have a nice rest?" Jade calls out to you while you go.

"Jade, can you _not_ talk to me while I take a piss?" you remark.

"Well, gee, someone's a little cranky. I'll take that as a 'No'," she responds.

"Jade, shut the fuck up," you tell her as you finish up, zipping up your pants. You walk back over to her and she gestures for you to hold out your hands.

"It's hand sanitizer," she says, squirting a dab of it into your palm. You hand her the flashlight and rub it into your hands quickly before taking it back and starting back to the car. You're halted by Jade grabbing onto your shirt, forcefully tugging you back.

"Wait a moment, Cool Guy. You're being way too cranky now, and it is definitely not from a lack of sleep. Care to tell me what's up?" You shake your head, gritting your teeth.

"I'm fine." She heaves a sigh.

"Look, you can talk to me. You know that, right?" You did know that, but did you really want to talk right now? Not really.

"Just leave it alone," you shove her to the side. That was your big mistake.

"Hey!" she bellows, and you can hear righteous fury pour through the tone. You turn back around and she's suddenly face to face with you, peering up to match height, her mouth twisted into a scowl.

"Listen here," she jabs at your chest with her index finger, "I don't give an absolute fuck if you don't want to talk, but that's not even the problem here. You're just being aloof and withdrawn, and you had me believing that I was the only one you _weren't_ going to do that with." She looks up at you for a moment, the two of you barely illuminated by the flashlight. You watch as her hand reaches up, and your mind registers what she's going to do and reacts quickly before you even have time to think. You find your left hand gripped tightly around the wrist of her right hand. She yanks it away, breaking the hold to rub where your grasp had been previously.

" _Don't_ ," you warn, and everything about this situation doesn't feel good. You and her were not supposed to fight, but you couldn't restrain the irritation you were feeling. Part of you is telling yourself to cut the shit out, but another part of you just keeps letting it happen and pouring acid out of your mouth like a fucking idiot.

"You're such a jerk," she spits, pushing you forward before brushing past you to return to the car. You just let her walk on her own, only for a moment as you collect your bearings. The other part of you finally gives in, knowing that you're just being an asshole as usual and she was being considerably nice by just calling you a jerk.

"Wait, Jade," you call out to her. She stops, contemplating your request on the grounds of whether or not she actually had the patience to even put up with you for even a second. She listens and turns, but something about her is off as she approaches. Her gun is in hand, and she is looking particularly cautious. You feel your muscles tense up and you begin questioning if she's thinking about shooting you. You wish she didn't have a gun right now, or any weapon, to be exact.

"Look, Jade, I'm so--" you begin, but suddenly the gun is pointed _right at you_. You put your hands up, frantic now. "Jade, wait don't--" The shot goes off and you think you've died right there, that you've gone to wherever the hell because you pissed off your sort-of-girlfriend enough to make her shoot you down, but you realize you're in one piece. You turn and look to see a zombie on the ground, now dead (again.)

"Oh my fucking god," you breathe, your mind spinning. "Jade, I . . . " your mind scrambles to find words, but you hear a _thud_ on the ground and suddenly she's holding you in a tight embrace, clutching onto you as if for dear life. You rest your chin against her head, dropping your flashlight and drawing your arms soundly around her.

"I'm sorry," you mutter sincerely.

"It's okay," she mumbles back. She glances up at you, the pupils of her moss eyes dilated and full of longing. Your lips part in synchronization with hers as you lean in to kiss her once again. Your lips are barely touching, only a few centimeters away when she hesitates, taking a step back. The space that was once between you two is back there again, and _god_ do you wish you were kissing those delicate lips right now--

"Look, we should probably get back to the car right now. I'm sure Rose and John are wondering where we are," she breathes, clearing her throat. Her gaze focused everywhere but on you.

"Right," you agree hesitantly, although you wish the complete opposite of what she's saying at the moment. She grabs her gun from the ground before she trudges through the brush of the forest with you tailing behind her, the car coming into sight as you two get ready to climb back into the older, beaten-up version of a silver Honda Accord.

You knock on the trunk door when you arrive, waiting for John to pop it open. When it does, you place all your things back in the trunk space, shutting it tightly when you're done. You pull the door open and slide into your place in the back seat with Jade.

"You were gone an awful long time," Rose comments, and you make the mistake of turning your attention toward her smug look.

"Shut the fuck up, Lalonde. People in this car want to sleep," you tell her, turning on your side to nestle into the door in the most comfortable position possible, which is no position at all. You're afraid to close your eyes again because you might go through the same nightmare you've been experiencing the past few days, so your eyes remain open. You always had trouble sleeping at night, anyway.

 

**Jade: Stare out a window wistfully as if you're in a music video.**

 

You and John are the only people seemingly awake right now, and you can accredit that to the two of you being the only two able to get any sort of rest. You know this for a fact because you heard Rose and Dave whispering during the night, only for a split second before your eyelids grew heavy with fatigue again. It seemed to be that Dave and Rose were night owls and you and John were morning larks. Creatures of habit, you suppose.

You and Dave have some unresolved . . . _tension_ that you had not addressed. Namely, the unresolved tension you created when you kind of sort of almost kissed him. You really were going to kiss him, another part of you held back, the rest of you telling you that the moment just didn't seem right, which granted, it really wasn't. All that fighting was basically days of pent up sexual tension and it was like a mile marker in your relationship. If you were scrapbooking your relationship with Dave, it'd be a picture of you bickering and the words, "Our First Fight", scrawled out in sharpie underneath it. But then again . . .

You and Dave were a couple, right? He was definitely feeling it when the two of you almost kissed. He pulled you closer to him, he was going to kiss you back . . . that meant you were sort of a couple now. Right? You were positive that he and you were something but then again you never know because it's the end of the world as you know it and now's a time for doing whatever crazy stuff you can think of without having any repercussions. You just weren't certain about anything and it was now a conversation you had to have with Dave. You were afraid of having the conversation because you were afraid of him not feeling as strongly about you as you felt of him. "Cool guys don't experience petty things like emotions," would be something he would say. Or maybe you've got him pegged totally wrong and you're over-analyzing the shit out of the situation. You exhale loudly as you watch the blur of trees move quickly by.

"Hey, Jade, can you grab the map from Rose's lap and tell me if I need to make any turns or anything?" John asks you, breaking you from your concentration.

"Yeah, of course!" you tell him, reaching around to gingerly collect the map from Rose. She doesn't even shift at all in her sleep, and you feel jealous of the two twins. They sleep like it's an Olympic sport, and no one is going to wake them up unless they decide so. You unfold the map and check where Rose has drawn a red line indicating your route.

"Looks like you just keep going straight still. Nothing else, really, but we're really close to being there," you announce.

"Sweeeeeeeet," he draws ecstatically. "I can't wait to be done being everyone's chauffeur. Once we get there, I won't ever have to play chauffeur ever again." You can hear the grin in his voice.

"I can't wait to stay in one place. I'm tired of hopping from shelter to shelter and with all of us together in one area it'll make me feel ten times better, because then we have less of a chance of splitting up from each other," you admit. You watch John nod his head slightly, and then the car returns to silence.

"So, what was up with you and Dave last night? I know you didn't really want to talk about it but you were gone an awfully long time and then we heard a gunshot. The first part made me think you were . . . you know, and the second part made me reconsider and think you were shooting up Dave," John comments.

"Well, most of that is sort of true . . . " you trail.

"Oh come on, Jade. You can tell me this stuff. I'm the cool brother you never had. The Cool Bro. El Broderino--" he lists, but you stop him.

"Alright, alright. What happened is that, and I still don't know what was up with him exactly, we were having a fight. He was being super cranky and was insulting me and I got pissed at him and then he tried to apologize and then there was a zombie and Dave thought I was gonna shoot him because he didn't know it was there but I didn't and then I almost kissed him and then we made it back here end of story," you ramble quickly, the words tumbling off your tongue awkwardly.

"Come again?" he asks. You twiddle your thumbs on your lap, looking around nervously.

"I almost kissed him," you admit sheepishly.

"Well, that's good, right?" he asks. You shrug.

"We haven't really talked much about it. Much as I hate to admit it, I still have doubts from time to time about the credibility of it," you sigh, resting your weight against the car door. "I mean, I'm sure he's being honest with me, but at the same time I still have to think of whether or not--"

"He's true or he's just doing a sort of end-of-the-world kind of deal," John finishes for you. You nod.

"He's just got a lot of trust issues he's got to sort out. That's kind of what we were arguing about, in a way. He likes to be withdrawn, but all I think he's doing is bottling up and bottling up, and it isn't healthy."

"I can kind of tell. Rose doesn't help much with that, either. She kind of backs off, which is strange for a girl who likes to put her nose into everything. She pretends like she likes to psychoanalyze the shit out of everyone but when it comes to her own brother, she withholds her idiosyncrasy. I just don't understand those two. Sometimes it's as if they're--"

"Our polar opposites?" you cut in with a grin. He chuckles.

" _Exactly._ " John hits a bump in the road, and you hear a snore erupt from beside you followed by a snort as Dave jerks awake.

" _Whoaa wha happen what_?" the gibberish tumbles out of his mouth. You notice Rose stretching in front of you as she wakes up as well. It strikes you down right eerie that the two just know how to sleep and wake up at the same time. It's the kind of creepy twin stuff that you're glad you didn't have to deal with.

"Nothing's going on right now. Let's just go back to sleep, Dave," Rose suggests lazily, still enamored with fatigue.

"Uh-oh," John says.

"Uh-oh? Why uh-oh?" you ask.

"Um, we've got another zombie mob to deal with again. They're blocking the entire road," he whispers, lowering his voice out of caution.

"Slow the car down, John. We've got to get them out of the way so we can pass through. Dave and Jade, you still have your weapons with you, right?"

"Yup!" you chirp, picking up the gun and patting it in your hand.

"Nope," Dave responds with a yawn attached.

"Okay, well, Jade is going to have to distract them while we get our stuff out of the trunk," Rose says.

"Like hell she is!" Dave objects. You place a reassuring hand onto his forearm.

"Dave, it's alright. I can handle the mass while you guys get your weapons. It won't be too big of a deal or anything, and it'll take you, what, a minute? I can do it," you smile confidently, and you feel his muscles relax under his skin.

" . . . Okay," he agrees hesitantly. You reach over to hold onto the door handle.

"Is everyone ready?" you ask.

"Ready," they all chime in and suddenly doors are flying open and you're at the front of the car playing defense.

There are a lot of zombies here, but it's nothing you guys can't handle now. You've fought off dozens of zombies with the other three enough times that this is a walk in the park (you hope.) They've already spotted the car by the time you evacuate it, so they're ushering themselves over rather quickly. You take aim and fire, shooting the head off of one as it flies away, sickly black oozing from the open wound. His body falls to the ground and the rest of the group steps over it with no interest whatsoever. You raise your rifle again and shoot sporadically attempting to blow back enough of them. It works for a moment, but then they draw in closer to you. A flash of red steps in front of you, and about a dozen zombie heads fly off of their torsos, black blood spewing everywhere.

"Sorry it took so long, but Egbert lost his hammer. Turns out he had it inside with him all along," Dave apologizes, turning his disapproving gaze towards John.

"I said I was sorry like a billion times!" John exclaims. You roll your eyes and gently push Dave to the side so you can get back into the action.

"Let's just kill some zombies, guys." You and your group tunes back into the hoard and blades and bullets and bludgeons go flying, black blood caressing everything in sight. The air turns pungent with a rotten stench immediately, but you allow yourself to breathe it in and get used to it. It churns your stomach but you ignore it, shooting back a couple more zombies. Viscera is tossed around and it seems like you're in hyper drive, moving faster than you can think until your muscles ache. The four of you end up back-to-back with each other, panting from the intense strifing.

"There's too many," John breathes.

"I'm almost out of bullets completely," you announce.

"I don't have a good feeling about this," Rose admits.

"Me either," Dave agrees.

"So is this it? We're just gonna get done in finally by a bunch of rotting corpses?" John asks. You furrow your brow, analyzing the situation.

"We've come so far, though. We made it even when we didn't have supplies! This can't be the end," you whine, desperate. You haven't had enough time to cope, to do the things you want to. This can't possibly be over--

"Die, zombie scum!" you hear someone shout from afar. The sound of gun shots slices through the air as the mass of the Flesh begins to clear up. Heads are flying all over the place, along with arms, and legs, and fingers . . .

"Well looky what we've got here. I think we've found us some new camp members!" a girl says, making her way over to the four of you. Once the rest of the zombies are cleared out the rest of her group follows behind her.

"Um, who are you?" you ask.

"I'm Araidia," she greets you cheerfully. You notice that she seems to have a sort of theme going on. Everything about her is red: her clothes, her hair, her eyeliner, even her mascara. You give her credit for dedication to the color and for being able to rock it so well. "And these are my friends, Sollux," she motions over to the long, skinny dude wearing 3D glasses.

"Sup."

"And this is Equius," she tells you, and the biggest and most muscular guy of the group awkwardly waves his hand. Sweat drips down his forehead profusely.

"Hello," he greets you guys in an extremely low voice.

"This adorable fellow right here is Karkat," Aradia chirps, pinching at the shortest of the group's cheeks. He dons a permanent scowl, his forehead creased as if in worry. He swats her hand away.

"OKAY WE GET IT MOVE THE FUCK ON ALREADY."

"Oh, and this is . . . _Vriska_ ," her smile drops as she introduces her halfheartedly. The girl is average height and of medium build, her hair wheat blonde with cerulean tips.

"Charmed, naturally," Vriska says, her mouth curved into a wicked smile. You can see how Aradia might speak unenthusiastically about her, because she looks like . . . not a nice person.

"Well, I'm John and this is Rose, Dave, and Jade," John gestures to each of you as he acquaints them with your little family.

"I'm sure everyone's having an amaaaazing time having a good, old-fashioned meet and greet, but I think they might want to just go back to camp," Vriska cuts in. "Here, I'll help John here. I'm sure he'd enjoy a little company." Vriska grins widely as she makes her way over to John, grabbing him by the arm. You watch as he gulps, face obviously expressing absolute unease.

"Uh, I guess so . . . " John accepts her invitation hesitantly, but doesn't get to say much as he's dragged off by Vriska's forceful tugging. You watch him glance back at you, mouthing, _"Help"_ , with desperation apparent in his eyes. You shrug your shoulders at him. Everyone from Aradia follows behind as they disappear into the thick of the trees. You look over at Rose, who is seemingly seething with irritation, strangely enough.

"Okay, so do you guys need help with anything? I see you brought a car, so I suppose you might want to drive it over to the actual spot. I'll come with you so I can help direct," Aradia offers.

"We can't drive. John is going off with Vriska and I don't think Dave should drive yet while his foot's still healing," you state.

"Rose can drive, can't you?" Dave asks his twin.

"Of course . . . " she trails, the color draining from her face as she goes stiff.

"Is everything okay?" Dave asks, taking notice of her sudden change in facial appearance.

"I'm fine," Rose responds, almost robotically. "Let's just get in the car."

"Awesome!" Aradia exclaims. "Next stop: Camp Pine!" 

 

**Rose: Drive the car.**

 

It's not a hard concept, really. You just buckle up, adjust your seat, fix the mirrors, put the key in ignition . . . The process is taking you way longer than a normal person would take to complete a simple task such as this, and you're afraid the rest of the car might notice. When you turn the key the engines rev up, causing you to jump.

"Um, Rose, I don't want to tell you how to drive but I want to tell you that this is not exactly how most people do it," Dave nags you. You want to reach back and hit him, but you are currently preoccupied with focusing all your energy on driving alone. 

_Come on, Lalonde. You can do it. Just breathe._

You shift the automatic stick into drive, taking (forcing) your foot off the brake pedal. The car inches ahead slowly as you muster up the courage to press the gas pedal.

"Are you sure you actually took Driver's Ed?" Dave continues bothering you and it's getting harder and harder to restrain yourself.

"Yes, I am  _positive_ ," you reply, gritting your teeth. Your foot finally presses the gas and  _boy do you fly._

" _Holy shit_ ," you mutter under your breath.

"STOP THE CAR!" the rest of the group shouts, gripping tightly onto their seats. You slam your foot hard on the brake pedal, shifting into park.

"Alright, I don't give a shit if I'm injured or not. Rose, get out of the car," Dave instructs you. You nod your head, unbuckling your seat belt and exiting the font of the car as Dave switches with from the backseat you. You slide in the back next to Jade, who is eyeing you with genuine concern.

"Okay everyone, let's go," Dave breathes, and you feel sick to your stomach. 

_I thought I could do it._

Dave puts the car into drive and takes off down the winding road, following Aradia's instructions to the T. You make no sound the entire way as you hold your arms crossed against your stomach, trying to remember to breathe again.

Not too long after do you arrive outside the small gate leading down a narrow, forest-enclosed road. Aradia hops out of the car and undoes the latch, opening it so that the car can pass through. Dave drives on through slowly, allowing enough room so that Aradia can re-latch the gate and get back into the car. As you progress through the narrow stretch of forest, a campsite comes into your sights, five or six vintage cabins appearing. The site itself is not very busy, few people cluttering up the area. Dave pulls the car into the designated parking area, stopping the car so that you all may leave.

"Do you guys have any thing I can help you bring in?" Aradia asks.

"Yes, please!" Jade exclaims, exiting the car so that she can retrieve your supplies with Aradia. You hear the  _thump_ of the trunk closing as you climb out of the car along with Dave. When you shut the car door, you notice him leaning against the car, arms folded against his chest. You attempt to brush by him, but he pulls you back to face him.

"Rose, do you care to tell me what's up?" he interrogates you, prodding for answers you don't plan to reveal.

"It's fine. I just had an agitated stomach," you lie through your teeth.

"Uh huh, suuuure," he elongates, tone full of disbelief. "You know we lie the exact same way, right? You know that the stoicness only works with me." You had never really taken notice of the fact that the two of you even lie the same, but it makes no difference.

"No, it's true. I'm  _fine_ ," you repeat.

"Okay, Rose, when you want to tell me what's up you come find me. I think I deserve to know what's up with my own twin sister," he grunts, ditching you to be alone in the grassy remains of the parking lot with silence as your only company. 

Maybe he's right. Maybe you should tell him.

Your mind remains at a constant buzz, still shaking from your earlier car experience while you shuffle off in the direction of everyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, another chapter completed after that WONDERFUL UPDATE! (I cried for almost an entire hour like the little weenie I am)  
> Yeah, so I got this done and I realize these chapters are taking forever (literally almost an entire month) to complete, but I think that's about the speed I'll be moving at for a while. I have the whole thing planned out and everything (really, I have a document with the whole timeline in order), but it will take a while so that I can figure out how to execute it in a way that would make sense. I never really had pictured the trip taking so long and leading up to the forest scene with Dave and Jade, but once I wanted some DaveJade angst, it happened. It's amazing what actually happens when I'm writing this, because usually I'm like, "I didn't plan on writing this but damn if it makes more sense than what I had planned before." Anyway, stay tuned, I'll probably usually update every three or so weeks (or if I'm working fast, a few days. I'm not, though.) Please read and enjoy!


	9. Chapter 9

**John: Strategize a way out of this situation.**

 

You'd never really been preyed upon by girls before, so Vriska being all over you like butter on bread made you completely nervous. It didn't help that she was very commanding, scaring the absolute shit out of you more than anything. She was still very interesting to you, however, and you weren't _completely_ putting her aside. It was just all too sudden for her to become attached to you without the two of you barely even sharing a glance. Maybe if you gave it some time . . .

"--and this is where the boys will be staying, because stupid camp rules." She doesn't sound like she's enamored with the idea. "We've got a lot of different jobs going on around here. We're still working out the kinks and everything, but everyone takes part in something and it's really just as if you were living a normal life," she finishes explaining.

"So we really don't have to do anything?" you ask.

"Well, we rotate on perimeter duty, which is taking watch at night in case of any outbreaks, but other than that, not too much needs to be done. It's all very lowkey. Off the top of my head, the only really physically taxing jobs are perimeter, kitchen, cleaning, and occasionally supply missions. Luckily we've brought in plenty of supplies as of today, so we don't need to make any trips for quite some time. We've got it all here," she replies. "And the best part? No adults. We only ever get kids our age, mostly because they've been here before."

"Sounds nice to me," you sigh. "I've missed this kind of life. I mean, not having to deal with being on the run practically every second," you tell her.

"Well, I bet you're glad you came here, Johnny Boy," she flashes a smile.

"Yeah . . . " She pulls you by the arm up to one of the cabins, ascending the steps and turns the knob, revealing several preoccupied rows of bunks and an overall mess.

"Get out of here, Vriska! Don't you know we guys need our fuckin' privacy?!" one of them whines.

"Oh, shut the fuck up, Eridan," she retorts, pushing you inside. "Alright you grubs, here's a fresh piece of meat to add to your sausage fest." Some of them groan, as if they really didn't want another addition to their group. "Oh, and if you need me, John, just shout," she whispers in your ear, winking at you on her way out. You feel relief once she's gone, the tension in your muscles suddenly settled.

"So, you're buddying it up with Vriska, then?" one of the guys you met earlier, Sollux, asks you with a lisp in his voice. You notice he has a handheld device in his hands, presumably a gameboy or something, not removing his gaze from it for even a second.

"Sort of," you answer. "Is she always like that?"

"YES," the entire cabin chimes in.

"At least, to the people she takes a personal interest in," Equius adds as he ties up his cleats.

"Greaaaaat," you draw out, exhaling afterward. "So, which bunk is mine?"

"Whichever one doesn't have any fucking stuff on it, Dickwad," you hear someone spit from around the corner of one of the beds. As he comes into sight, you recognize the short shouty guy from Aradia's group from before. He's got a mop full of umber brown hair, a mouth full of cursing, and a face full of scorn. He does not look like an overall pleasant person. You have this strange feeling that you and he will be great friends.

"Thanks . . . Karkat, was it?" you inquire of him.

"Don't talk to me," he hisses back, brushing past you as he makes his way out of the cabin.

"Well, he's nice!" you exclaim sarcastically.

"Yeah, KK's been known to be a peach," Sollux tells you. "What's your name again?"

"John," you reply.

"Well, John, as KK said, just take up whichever bed doesn't have any fucking stuff on it. We're not really as organized around here as people might think," Sollux says lazily.

"Okay, thanks . . . " Your eyes gloss over the room, looking to see which bed _doesn't_ have any shit on it. It's hard to tell because practically _every_ bed has some sort of item on it, but you notice an empty set of bunks open in the corner of the cabin. You sit down on the bottom bed thinking that perhaps you'll be able to share it with your bro, Dave. Speak of the devil . . .

"Hey, losers," Dave steps into the cabin, face deadpanned as always as he greets everyone in a very Dave-esque fashion. "I'm Dave, so where do I get to sleep so I can get the fuck out of here?"

"Dave!" you call out to him. He takes notice of your spot tucked back in the far left corner of the cabin.

"Oh, hey, Egdork," he raises a hand to acknowledge you in a sort of cool, wave-like gesture. He places his hands back into his pocket as he ambles over to you. You can still tell he's favoring his leg still, but not so much as before.

"So, did you get an official tour of the place?" you ask him.

"Nah, I didn't. I just wanted to know where I was sleeping so I could claim a bed," he shrugs.

"Well, do you want top or bottom?" you rise, pointing at the bed.

"Dude," he says, and you notice the implications of your previous question.

"That's gross! Get your mind out of the gutter, Dave!" you exclaim. A sort of smug playfulness tugs at his lips and you can tell he's getting a mile out of tormenting you.

"I'll take the top bunk," he decides after careful consideration.

"Fine with me. Where are you headed?" you ask him.

"To get food. I'm fucking starving, I could eat a shit ton of marbles." You raise your brow at him.

"Marbles?"

"Hungry-Hungry Hippos reference," he clarifies.

"You're weird." He turns on his heel to stride out the door and you follow behind, inhaling the scent of fresh air again once you've exited.

"So, what do you think of this place?" you question him.

"It's nice, I guess. It's no Holiday Inn, but it'll do, I suppose," he answers. Silence falls between the two of you as you scramble your mind for some conversation topics.

"So, you and Jade, huh?" He stops in his tracks to look at you.

"I thought we were done with this shit," he remarks.

"No, not like that. I meant," you waggle your eyebrows at him, "You and Jaaaaade." You grin with satisfaction when you notice his cheeks brim with tinted pink.

"Oh god, somehow that's even worse. And also, that's _NONE OF YOUR GODDAMN BUSINESS_ ," he fumes, crossing his arms.

"Come on, Dave," you press, "Best friends talk about this kind of stuff!"

"No they don't."

"She told me you two almost kissed. What's the deal with this 'almost' kissing?" He huffs a breath of frustration when he realizes that you're not gonna give up until he gives you a definite answer.

"We were going to kiss, but she changed her mind at the last second," he begins explaining. "I'm not really sure what's up with her. It's like, we totally have something going on, right? Then the next thing you know its something comes between us, like a nerdy cousin," you can tell he's eyeing you behind his shades even without seeing his disdainful stare, "Or it's a fight, or we get separated. Shit like that. I mean, I don't want to press her into anything and I'm not going to, but it's kind of messing with my mind. I just want to know what's up, you know?" You nod your head.

"Yeah, I get that."

"I dunno, it just sort of frustrates me. It's as if the world doesn't want us together . . . Or she doesn't," he adds after a brief pause.

"I wouldn't say that," you reassure him. "Why don't you try talking to her about it?"

"I don't know if you know me, but I'm not one to talk about things such as 'feelings'." You grip him by the shoulders, staring him straight in the eyes (shades?)

"You want her, right?" you ask.

"Yeah."

"Do you wanna hold her?"

"Of course."

"Do you want to please her?"

"Hell yes."

"Then you've gotta, gotta try a little tenderness! Chicks love that romantic crap!" you sing to Dave, shaking his shoulders.

" . . . Did you just quote Shrek at me?" 

" . . . Noooo," you release his shoulders, averting your attention to the ground.

"You totally just did. Don't do that again," he warns, but he adds something quick and quietly, "Thanks though. For the talk." Your mouth draws into a wide, goofy grin, excitement coursing through your veins.

"Of course, Man! What are best friends for?" He shakes his head and continues walking towards what you assume is the camp dining hall. You spot Rose and Jade outside their cabin, leaning against the wooden exterior, having a seemingly jovial conversation. The two of you meet up with them.

"Hey, ladies," you wave, smiling.

"Hey, Jade," Dave smirks slightly, and she smiles back at him warmly. He turns his gaze to the side. "Rose," he acknowledges her cooly. You exchange glances with Jade, wondering where the intense icy-ness came from.

"Dave," she acknowledges back in the same, deadpanned tone. 

"I don't like where this is going," you lean over and whisper to Jade.

"Me neither," she whispers back, gripping onto your arm as you watch Dave and Rose stare each other down with death glares.

 

Shit is about to GO. DOWN.

 

**Dave: Have a sibling showdown with Rose.**

 

This has been going on for too long. You're sick of Rose not telling you shit while she gets to pick apart every last section of your brain and use that knowledge to her advantage. You're her brother, first of all, her twin, second of all, and you deserve to be told the truth.

"Bring it, Lalonde," you challenge.

"Bring it, Strider," she counters. Out of the corner of your eyes you can tell that Jade and John are watching the whole encounter from afar. You don't care because it's about time you settled this.

 

**STRIFE!**

 

"You stick your nose into everybody's business, but you can't fucking tell your own brother when you've got issues?" you sneer.

"Au contraire, mon frère, I wouldn't be speaking smack talk when you've got plenty of issues on your table," the riposte slides off her tongue. You furrow your brows.

"So we're gonna play it that way?" you ask. "Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you." She cackles.

"Oh, I'm just _trembling_ with fear right now," she draws out sardonically.

"You think I'm stoic, Miss Goody-Two-Shoes? How about I relay to you the fact that you're just like a fucking robot! I never know when I'm speaking to the real Rose, or just a carbon copy!" You can almost hear a faint _chink_ , as if it cut a hole into her steel armor. Her expression hardens, and you know that you've got the upper hand at the moment. _Strike one_.

"That's funny, Dave, but you would know stoic, being the master. I mean, how do you expect any girl to want to be with you if can't stop being emotionally withdrawn from the world?" Oh, so someone _is_ ready to play.

"Sure, you could say that, but at least I had an iota of emotion when it happened! And you know _e_ _xactly_ what I'm talking about!" you shout. _Strike two._

" _Don't you fucking dare_ ," her tone drops, glare so sharp it could pierce your skin.

"You bet your fucking ass I'm gonna go there. You know what it was like? I wanted to talk to someone about it but all you ever did was just sit there, and sit there, and SIT THERE!" you raise your voice as it wavers slightly on the last few words. _Strike three._

"You don't think I didn't feel anything, too? Just because I wasn't there when he fucking died doesn't mean I didn't hurt, too!" you notice tears brimming at her eyes, but you're on a roll, pent up fury coursing through your veins.

"No, Rose, I don't think you felt a thing because--"

"ENOUGH!" Your fight is suspended by Jade stepping in between the two of you, shouting loudly enough that perhaps even another country could hear her.

"Jade--" you begin, but she cuts you off, her glare even more deadlier than your sister's. You back off.

"You two are siblings," she breathes, "Now fucking _act like it_." She steps away, grabbing John by the arm.

"Once you two have sorted out your issues, then you can join John and I in the dining hall," she declares, pulling him away from the area quickly. You focus your attention back on Rose, whose tears are no longer brimming and are instead spilling down her cheeks. You've never seen your sister really cry before, so you know you've fucked up.

"D-Do you really think that I didn't feel immense pain when I found out he died?" she asks. You shake your head.

"No," you exhale, organizing your thoughts. "I was just frustrated and angry when I said it." You pause in order to collect your thoughts. "But can you blame me? I saw it happen, and I reached out to you and all you could do was sit in your little windowsill, scribbling down notes while you told me to interpret ink blots. You could've just told me."

"I-It was so h-hard," she stifles a sob. "I didn't want you to have to worry about someone else. I just wanted you to be okay." The next thing you do is unthinkable coming from you, but you pull her in for a hug, anyway, letting her rest her head on your shoulder.

"Rose, don't ever think for one second that your problems aren't too much for me, kay? I don't want you to ever think that for even a single moment, because I'll always have time to listen to whatever it is you need to get off your chest." She nods her head, rubbing her face into your shirt. Its damp with tears but you don't mind even a bit. You stroke her hair, attempting to soothe her and calm her down.

"Now, can you tell me what was up with the car earlier?" you step back from the hug once she's calmed down enough, stuffing your hands back into your pockets.

"Remember a while back when I walked home from the mechanics because I had to get my car oiled?" You furrow your brow, trying to recall the memory.

" . . . Yes," you respond a few seconds after it comes back to you mind.

"I didn't need an oil change. I got into a car accident and I've been scared of driving ever since," she confesses.

"Rose, why the fuck would you keep that from me? I wouldn't have forced you to drive the fucking car! I'm not a total asshole," you exclaim. "You've gotta give me a little credit." She nods her head, and you notice the puffy redness of her eyes depleting. Her mouth twists into a miniscule grin.

"I'm sorry I said what I said," she apologizes.

"No, you were right in calling me out on it. I've got a lot of issues that I need help dealing with. If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me," you tell her.

"You had a right to, honestly. I shouldn't have made myself withdrawn from you. It's just, sometimes it's hard to tell your own family what's going on with you even when you don't know yourself," she admits.

"Well, let's just admit we're both idiots and move on," you say. "It's getting a bit dark and my stomach is growling like a bear trying to maul a small child."

"Gruesome comparison, but I have to agree. Let's go get some dinner." You walk side by side with her as you make your way to get food.

"Strider/Lalonde children should not be allowed to experience any intense emotions," you tell her.

"I couldn't agree more."

 

**Jade: Meet some other campers at dinner.**

 

"So you're saying you can fit a whole fist in your mouth?!" you exclaim.

"That's right," the girl in front of you grins. Her name is Terezi and she's just another interesting camper you've stumbled upon. She always wears a pair of pointed, candy-apple tinted glasses because she is blind. She has russet colored hair that someone has styled into tiny, braided pigtails for her, the bands two different colors. She's also wearing braces, which makes you wonder . . .

"Hey, Terezi, what are you going to do about your braces?" you ask her.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean how are you going to get them off? Isn't going to be a little hard since we're in the middle of a zombie apocalypse?" She shrugs.

"I guess when the time comes I'll just have someone with a pair of pliers rip 'em off!" Your eyes widen in horror.

"What?!" She throws her head back in a peal of laughter, cackling.

"You're too easy to fool." You relax a bit, but another question pops into your mind. _Then how is she going to do it?_ You guess that's another mystery.

"Terezi, stop bothering them with your stupid antics," someone says as they join the table. You recognize that permanent scowl from earlier and extend your hand to him.

"Hi, we met earlier. I'm Jade!" he glances at your hand and then back up at you, raising a brow.

"Yeah, and . . . ?" You frown and sit back down, but become confused when John starts chuckling beside you.

"Oh, classic Karkat!" You watch as Karkat's eye's ignite with fire.

"Why the fuck are you talking about me like we're best pals or something?"

"C'mon, Karkat, don't you want to make new friends?" John asks.

"Hmmm, let me think about it---NO," he growls.

"I don't know, you sticking around is giving me another message. I think you _do_ want to be our friend," John smirks.

"AUGH!" Karkat shouts, flipping his tray of food over. Terezi puts a hand on his arm.

"Karkles, you need to settle down. Your anger is getting the best of you again and you're acting like a tool."

"He isn't always this way?" You punch John in the arm.

"Shut up!" you warn under your breath.

"DON'T HOLD ME BACK TEREZI," Karkat yells, lunging for John. Terezi does the opposite and holds him back, restraining him from scratching up John's face like a cat on a scratching post.

"Yo," a voice interrupts the dramatic scene unfolding before you. You turn and find Rose and Dave walking over, completely normal as compared to before. It eases you to see that they've seemingly talked out their problems like normal people do. Terezi finally manages to settle Karkat back onto the bench.

"Hey," you greet them. Dave takes a seat right next to you and Rose takes the seat across from John.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?" Terezi asks.

"Oh! Yes, Terezi, this is Dave. Dave, say hi," you instruct.

"Hella hello."

"I'm blind," she states matter-of-factly.

"Well okay then," Dave notes.

"Rose, your turn."

"Pleased to meet you, Terezi," she smiles, chipper. It's kind of creeping you out. The Dave/Rose feelings jam session must've worked a little _too well_.

"Alright, grapes and cherries. Pleasant," Terezi chirps.

"What?" Rose asks, confused.

"It's how I identify people. I can smell colors," she explains.

"Whaaat? That's so cool!" John exclaims.

"Yeah, what else is new," she brushes it off. "So, Mr. Cherries, tell me more about yourself," Terezi turns back towards Dave, propping her elbows on the table and resting her head on the bridge she's created with her hands.

"Alright, you're done!" Karkat cuts in, taking Terezi by the arm and pulling her away from your group. "Adios, assholes!"

"Toodles!" she calls out to your group, waving as she departs. You sigh a breath of relief. That was almost an ordeal for you and you don't need anymore ordeals for the day. Your ordeal quota has officially been filled until tomorrow. Dave walks around to the other side of the table to balance it out.

"Well, they seem nice," Rose speculates. "Terezi, in the least."

"No, Karkat's a nice guy, I can tell!" John exclaims.

"Really?" you ask him. "Call me crazy, but I've been receiving the _opposite_ impression from Karkat." John shakes his head.

"No, I think he's like a walnut."

"You have to use a hunk of metal to get to the interior?" Rose questions.

"Yeah! . . . No wait, no . . . " John rethinks his comparison.

"What do you guys think of the camp?" Dave interjects.

"Pretty decent to me. I think we'll be good here," you answer him. "It's kind of nice to finally settle down for the first time in a month." John nods his head, lazily resting it on his hand afterward.

"It's exhausting."

"Indeed," Rose agrees.

"Joooooooohhhhnnnn! There you are," Vriska's voice cuts into your conversation.

"Oh no," John gasps, desperately trying to hide himself under the table with no avail. Vriska plops down right next to him on the bench of the dining hall table, pulling him back up.

"How has it been? Have you gotten a better look around here on your own?"

"No, not really. I've just been sitting in here eating with Rose, Jade, and Dave." Vriska halfheartedly raises a hand to gesture some sort of hello.

"I'll have to show you around, then. The lake is my favorite place to go, especially at night," she says with a wink, "That and the briar patch."

"Isn't that just a bunch of thorns?" John raises his brow.

"Yeah," Vriska says dreamily. "I just love it when unsuspecting victims get pushed in." _Yikes._

"Wow, how . . . I don't actually think I have a good enough adjective for the situation," John admits.

"That's okay. If you come with me we can probably think up a few together," Vriska flashes a wicked grin, grabbing John by the collar and pulling him away.

"If I die, all my worldly possessions go to the three of you!" John calls out as he disappears out the double doors.

"Wow, what a lucky dude. So, who wants to place dibs on his shitty hammer?" Dave offers. You hear Rose mutter something under her breath that sounds eerily similar to, _"I'm gonna cut a bitch."_

"Whelp, this has been an exciting day, but I think I'm gonna leave the dining hall for the night. I might go check out the lake that Vriska was talking about, it seems pretty cool," you announce, waiting in hopes that certain people might catch on.

"Night," both twins wave to you. 

"You know, Dave, it'll be pretty lonely all by myself," you bait him.

"Yup, I bet it will." You sigh, noting that Dave is just too incognizant to recognize your lame attempt to get him and you alone.

"Alrighty, see you guys later," you depart, ushering yourself out the doors and into the warm air of the night.

 

**Dave: Quit being an idiot.**

 

Rose smacks you on the head with one of the navy blue dinner trays after Jade has exited the hall.

"Ow! What the fuck was that for?!" you exclaim.

"Are you truly that oblivious, Dave?" she queries.

"Oblivious about what?!" She crosses her arms, brows furrowed and expression full of disdain.

" _She wanted you to go with her_ ," Rose states through gritted teeth. No, Jade didn't want that. She would've just asked . . . _Oh._

"Oh. Oh, shit!" you remark.

"Well, what are you doing? Go find her, Dipshit!" Rose reaches over to push you off the bench.

"Alright, alright!" you smack her hand away, rising from the table to rush out quickly. You make your way through the double-doors out to the open air, looking around for which way she could have went. You spot Vriska from afar taking a midnight stroll with John, clinging tightly to him as if she were a drowning victim and he was her only hope at survival. 

"Hey, Vriska!" you call out to her. She loosens her grip on John and turns to face you, stopping dead in her tracks.

"What do you want . . . whichever friend of John's you are?" she demands as you approach.

"Where's the lake? I need to know right now because it is very urgent, like assassination plot of the president urgent," you explain. She points behind her.

"It's just right back there. There should be a path marked so just push on through there and you'll make it."

"Thanks," you tell her, turning on your heel to rush over to your destination. You're stopped by John, however, only for a few short seconds.

"Dave?" You avert your attention back to him.

"Yeah?" He holds up a thumb.

"Good luck!" You roll your eyes at him.

"Yeah, thanks, Man." You turn back to follow in the direction Vriska pointed, hearing an echo of, _"Don't forget to talk to her!"_ emanating from behind you. You find the dirt path not too long after and it stretches through the trees, blue markers on trunks leading the way to the clearing where the lake is.

The lake at night is truly beautiful at night, and you can see why it might be considered Vriska's favorite spot to go to. The moonlight shimmers against it as it hovers in the vast night sky, and the lake embraces a dim glow that embellishes the surrounding area. You spot Jade standing in a patch of grass by the edge of the bank, overlooking the water. You make your way over to her, standing right next to her and shoving your hands into your pocket as you stare at the lake, as well.

"This is wicked tight," you comment. She jumps when she notices you, not realizing you had arrived.

"Oh! You scared me," she holds her hand to her chest, a breathy laugh escaping her lips.

"Sorry," you apologize.

"Don't worry about it. I was just lost in thought." You watch as she carefully tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, grabbing a hold of the crook of her other arm after. The two of you stand in silence, then, enjoying the pleasant sound of crickets chirping in the night. She shuffles her feet, kicking small rocks into the water as she does so.

"I can't believe we've only known each other a whole month," she speaks up, disturbing the lull and tranquility the two of you had created.

"Doesn't seem like that. Seems longer."

"True. I mean, what do you think would've happened if we didn't team up? Do you think Rose would have even found John? Do you think we might've eventually made it over here? Do you think--"

"Whoa, slow down there," you attempt stop her from babbling endlessly. "No more 'what ifs'. We're here and that's all that matters." She turns to look at you, her moss eyes illuminated from the reflection of light on the water.

"I know, but I just . . . it doesn't feel real, you know? I still feel like we need to run every five seconds, that tomorrow we're just gonna have to get up and go to some place new. And I'm not even sure if being here right now will stay the same. I just can't deal with all this indefinite-ness! I just want to know if I'm gonna--mmmph!"

You cut her off, pressing your lips gently against hers in a rash decision. Your hands cup her face, fingers entangled with strands of onyx hair as you press your thumbs press up against her smooth, bronze cheeks. It takes her a moment to realize what's happening, but eventually her hands come up to rest on your shoulders as she pulls herself closer against you. Her lips are rough and chapped as much as yours are, but you don't mind one bit, sinking deeper into the kiss as you tug at her lower lip with your teeth affectionately. Her nose presses up against yours comfortably like two puzzle pieces, and her face is warm and delicate. Your glasses are a bit of a problem, hitting up against each other as you fumble rather awkwardly for more lip action, but the two of you manage. She leans back a minute later in order to get a gasp of air, her eyes peering up at you, wide and full of longing. She brushes her tongue over lips and thins them, her mouth curving into a warm smile after.

" _Wow_ ," she breathes.

"M-hm."

"That was kind of nice."

"I think I'm gonna kiss you again," you state.

"That sounds good to me," she complies, and you wrap your arms around her waist, closing the space between you as the two of you take all the time you need in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I end up writing a chapter after I say I'm not going to have another one out for a while. I'm gonna stop doing that because I am just too unpredictable for myself.  
> Anyway, this is one of my favorite chapters. It has some good quotes in it, and some awesome davejade in it (finally). I also love how I describe Terezi, because in my head she's probably the most adorable character.  
> Anyway, enjoy and keep on reading! :)  
> 


	10. Chapter 10

**Jade: Watch the sunrise.**

 

You dangle your feet off the wooden dock of the lake, resting your weight on your hands behind you. As the golden rays of the sun touch over the horizon, you soak it all in, the realness of it. It felt nice that you could sit here and enjoy the sunrise, letting go all your inhibitions. Also, you could just have a period of halcyon reflection without a single disturbance, your thoughts flowing freely throughout your conscious.

Dave kissed you a few nights ago.

_Dave kissed you._

You haven't been kissed before, so as far as kisses go, it made you feel as if you and the stars were one, floating freely up inside the vast vacuum of space. Something about it just felt right, as if it were preordained that the two of you were to be together. You realize that's some cheesy shit spilling out of your brain, but it was how you felt. Absolutely, positively _euphoric_.

You also feel for the first time, Dave kisses or no Dave kisses, that you might actually be okay. You had many lovely people that you could and probably would live out the rest of your days with, and somehow that left you with a comfort that made you settled and without a care. You were Jade Harley, and that was all there was to it. No death or fear of death or anything could come between you and the feeling of being able to live again. It was if you had somehow been reborn. You draw your legs tightly against your chest and rest your head atop your knees, closing your eyes and appreciating every sound and scent around you, fresh and unsullied.

"So this is what it's like to wake up early in the morning," a voice interrupts your placidity, bringing you back to earth. Dave strolls up next to you, lowering himself to the empty spot beside you, shoulder pressing up against your shoulder. You greet him with a warm smile, pushing your weight onto, pushing him over slightly.

"Hey, you." He bobs back against you, smirking.

"Hey, you." His vanilla blond hair glows in the sunlight, crowning him like a halo. In the gradient of the light, you can spot miniscule flecks of freckles caressing his cheeks.

"Looks like someone got some sweet new threads," you comment, taking notice of his change of clothes. He's wearing non-torn, non-blood stained skinny khaki pants and slightly-used black Converses, paired with a forest-green, cotton t-shirt.

"Yeah, they've got a room filled with clothes they've salvaged. Of course, they only have a one-outfit-per-person quota, but the stuff there is nice. I do feel like a cartoon character with my 'same outfit every day' trope going on, but it feels better to be in cleaner clothes, that's for sure," he explains.

"What are you doing up early?" you inquire of him.

"I figure, why the hell not? Also, I had a hunch you might be out here. Good thing you are, cause I would have gone back to sleep for the rest of the day."

You glance over at him, reaching over and resting his sunglasses on top of his head. His crimson eyes grace yours as the two of you exchange glances. You notice his eyes start to narrow as he squints, figuring that the bright morning sun is hurting his eyes. You release your legs and adjust them so that they are folded and you are sitting atop them. You reach out to rest your palm on the side of his face, drawing him forward as you plant your lips delicately upon his. His hands rest on the sides of your waist and he pulls you on top of his lap and then slide onto the small of your back. His tongue glides over your lips into your mouth and you utter a soft moan before he removes his lips and his hands, placing palms onto your burning cheeks.

"Jade Harley," he breathes, watching you carefully as the two of you silently catch your breath. "For the love of god, please date me." You giggle, pressing your forehead up against his.

"Dave Strider," you breathe back. "For the love of god, _yes_."

 

**Rose: Eat breakfast . . . alone.**

 

You are forced to eat your suspiciously lumpy oatmeal by yourself for the morning, due to the absence of Dave and Jade (you have a strange feeling that they are an item now, as you've seen less and less of them) and due to the fact that John was being smothered by the attention of the she-witch--er, Vriska. So it was you, a lumpy bowl of bland oatmeal, and a novel that you had swiped from someone's bed (you'll return it when you're done). You sit yourself down on the wooden bench of the table and scoop a bite of the sad-looking substance onto the plastic spoon, forcing it to slide down your throat after you enter it into your mouth. It was possibly the grossest oatmeal you've ever tasted in your entire life, but you eat it, nonetheless. It's never a good time to be picky during an apocalypse.

"Um, hello, may I sit here?" You lift your eyes from the beige pages of the book and see a girl standing across the table, gesturing to the seat in front of her. She has caramel skin and sienna hair that is styled into an elegant pixie cut. You shrug your shoulders.

"Sure, I don't mind." She places her tray on the table and pokes at her oatmeal, obviously having the same doubts about it as you had, prior. She doesn't say anything, but you notice her looking around the room, as if she does have something to say.

"Did you have something you wanted to ask me?" you put the book down on the table, staring straight at her.

"Uh, yes, I just . . . I didn't want to be rude or anything, but . . . that is my book," she points to it sheepishly, brows furrowed. You push the book forward worriedly.

"Oh! Why didn't you just say so? I didn't mean to steal it, it's just--" She chuckles, pushing the book back.

"Don't worry about it. I have read the book several times. It is one of my favorites, actually. I'm Kanaya, by the way."

"I'm Rose. I'm glad someone here likes literature as much as I do," you grin.

"Did you know we have a library here, then? It has got plenty of good books, I could vouch for it. We also have a book club started, if you are interested. We have at least ten members at the moment and are always open to welcome new members," Kanaya offers.

"Could I? I would absolutely love to join a group of fellow readers. I have been lacking in the friend department as of lately, and it would be nice to meet new people," you tell her.

"Of course!" Vriska's cackling pierces through the air suddenly, causing you to avert your attention to her. Her arm is hanging around John's neck almost possessively, and you feel something awful bubble in your skin. You turn back towards Kanaya, whose expression is somewhat solemn as she wistfully stares at Vriska.

"Are you okay?" you ask her. She shakes herself from the lull she was in, her face smiling warmly once again.

"Yes, I am, thank you. I was just lost in thought," she says.

"Do you like her?" you query. "I mean, I'm not trying to press into your affairs, so don't feel obligated to answer me or anything--" you ramble, but she cuts you off.

"Yes, I do. She was one of my good friends and I really thought she felt the same, but it has been like this with her. First it was Tavros, now it is this John person, and I do not think things are going to turn out pleasantly for me. I need to just give up," she sighs, pushing around oatmeal with her spoon as she rests her head on her hand.

"I can say the same. I sort of had . . . oh, I don't know what it was, really. I kind of had feelings for John, ones that I thought maybe I could pursue, but Vriska scooped him up from right under my nose. I don't blame her, he's a good person. His heart's in the right place," you muse.

"Ah, so we are both stuck in the same boat. I would be wary about your friend, however. Vriska can be a very abrasive person, as you can already see. John needs to be able to know how to deal with her so that she does not step all over him like a tiny bug," Kanaya warns.

"Thank you for telling me. I'll have to talk to John about it when I get the chance," you say.

"Alright, scoot over, sis. Guess who is no longer a free man?" Dave strides up next to you, plopping himself down on the bench with a _thud_.

"Oh, lemme guess, you?" you humor him.

"Aw yeah," he grins, pleased with himself.

"Um, excuse me, but who are you? I am sorry, I just would like to meet your whole group," Kanaya asks Dave, directing the last statement towards you.

"Oh, Kanaya, this is my twin brother, Dave," you introduce her.

"Hello," she greets him.

"Sup." He turns his attention back towards you. "So, what's the Egderp up to?" You point behind you towards John and Vriska.

"He's been initiated into her group. It's as if she were a dog and she's already marked her territory on him."

"So she basically just pissed all over his face?" he raises his brow.

"Yes, that is a very good analogy for it," Kanaya agrees.

"Kanaya, I think I smell you. Are you right here?" You watch as Terezi walks herself towards your table, moving about with her dragon cane in hand.

"Yes, Terezi. I am right here," she offers a hand, helping Terezi to the table. "And so are my new friends, Rose and Dave."

"I've met them already. They see pretty bitchin'," Terezi grips onto Kanaya's hand, settling herself down on the seat. "Hello, Cherries and Grapes."

"Hey, Terezi," you and Dave say in unison.

"So, you two ready for campfire tonight?" Terezi asks.

"Campfire?"

"We have campfires every Wednesday and Friday in order to boost morale. I'm sure you've been told but most of these campers have already been here before, so it's a sort of a way to honor the tradition of the camp. We don't do much, of course, but your whole group is going to be inducted, now. Think of it as a sort of initiation," Terezi elaborates, flashing a wicked grin after.

"Thanks but no thanks. I'll pass," Dave declares.

"Pass on what?" Jade asks as she slides in next to Dave on the bench. Your table was continuously growing popular, so you were beginning to assume that in no time the entire camp would be crowded around your table. Ha, you're a very funny person. You should take a stab at being a comedian some time. Or not.

"We're having a campfire initiation ceremony tonight for the four of you!" Terezi exclaims.

"Really? We are definitely not passing out on that! Right, Dave?" she turns towards him, eyes full of excitement.

"No way," he crosses his arms.

"But Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaave! It'll be fun!" Jade pleads, drawing the best kicked-puppy expression upon her face as humanly possible. You figure that she's had a lot of practice with it because _damn_ would it make Dave look like a bad guy if he did put her down, so to speak.

"Ugh, okay. But don't go around telling people I'm a pushover and shit, because I'm _not_ ," Dave eventually gives in to her demands. She claps, jumping excitedly.

"Thanks, Dave!" she chirps, leaning over to give him a quick peck on the cheek. You watch as his face lights up red, and he turns toward you to witness you smirking.

"We don't talk about this, okay," he glowers. You laugh.

"I will make no such promises, camper Dave."

"Don't call me that."

"--and will we have smores?"

"Plenty of them!" Terezi says as you and Dave return your attention back to the rest of the girls.

"And do we get to sing campfire songs?" Jade continues spouting off questions left and right.

"All the time. Last Friday's main jam was Get Low."

"Ooh, sounds like my kind of place!" Dave lights up.

"I don't understand. What's 'Get Low'?" Jade asks. Terezi begins pounding on the table rhythmically and Kanaya and Dave follow along, as if by silent agreement.

"3, 6, 9, damn she fine! Hopin' she can sock it to me one mo' time! Get low, get low, get low, get low! Get low, get low!" Terezi begins chanting, the volume rising increasingly.

"To the window!" Dave yells. The rest of the hall has suddenly tuned into what is going on, and they all shout back,

"TO THE WALL! TO THE WALL!"

"TIL THE SWEAT DROP DOWN MY BALLS! TILL ALL THESE BITCHES CRAWL! TILL ALL SKEET SKEET MOTHAFUCKA! ALL SKEET SKEET GODDAMN!" everyone yells in unison, some taking the liberty of dancing on the tables for effect. It dies down a moment later, and you begin to clap.

"That was just incredible. That was entirely a bonding experience, if I ever saw one."

"I'm still very confused," Jade frowns. Dave loops his arm around her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Jade. I'll teach you everything you need to know about that song." You snort, amused.

"Are you going to demonstrate it for her, too, Dave?" He turns to you to deliver a death glare that you can feel pierce right through his shades as he grimaces.

"I am going to _kill_ you, Lalonde."

"I'd like to see you try," you motion towards you with your index finger.

"Will you two calm down for once? We barely even met these people and you're doing your same intense sibling stuff as usual!" Jade reprimands you and Dave.

"No, please go on! It's exciting," Terezi insists.

"We really should stop. I promise, we're not always like this, Kanaya and Terezi. We're actually really cool," you tell them.

"Really?" Terezi asks.

"No, not really," Jade sighs. "We're terribly uncool."

"Says you. Don't listen to them, TZ. If anyone's uncool, it's the rest of them. I'm definitely cool," Dave states.

"Is that what you call it?" you jest.

"Hey--" Dave begins, but Jade places a hand over his mouth.

"No more! Why don't we go on a nice, long walk, Dave?" Jade suggests, tugging him by the arm and ushering him away. "See you later, Rose," she adds as they make their way out of the cabin.

"Is it always this way with you four?" Kanaya inquires.

"Yes, it really is."

 

**John: Escape.**

 

While Vriska leaves to use the restroom quickly, you take the opportunity to talk to Rose. You hadn't been able to escape in time to catch Jade and Dave, but as long as you could talk to one of your friends and get time to breathe, you were alright.

You sneak away from the table where Vriska's friends are crowded and head over to the table where Rose, Terezi, and some other girl are sitting at. You slide in next to Rose, letting out a sigh of relief once you've made it.

"Oh geez. I am so glad I am away from there. Hi, Rose," you greet her.

"You're not with Vriska?" she says with surprise.

"Well, no, not at the moment. She left to go to the bathroom," you explain.

"Smart tactic. You better hurry the conversation along while you can, however. She will be back soon enough and find you here. In fact, you should just escape altogether. There is a back door right behind me in the kitchen if you are quick enough," the unfamiliar girl suggests.

"Thanks, but I think I'll stick here while I can. I'd like to talk with some of my friends again. It's funny, I've been here barely even a day and I feel like it's been years since I've talked to you guys," you tell Rose. You turn towards the girl next to Terezi, "Oh, by the way, who are you? I don't believe we've met."

"Oh, I'm Kanaya," she introduces herself.

"Nice to meet you," you grin. "Now back to business. What can I do to escape Vriska?"

"Have you tried actually talking to her? You're just going to trap yourself if you don't speak up. If you don't want her walking all over you, I would suggest you put on your big kid pants and tell her how you feel," Rose addresses. You glance behind you quickly to make sure Vriska's not back yet before returning your attention towards Rose.

"I know, it's just . . . hard. On the one hand, I'm afraid she'll kill me if I do, and on the other hand, I'm afraid I'll make her cry," you say. Terezi is suddenly thrown into a peal of laughter, doubling over as if in pain from laughing so hard. She rises back up a moment later, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Oh good lord, that's a good one! You're not gonna make Vriska cry, John. I've known her for years, trust me. If anything, she'll appreciate that you took the initiative to stand up to her. The thing is, whenever she sets her eyes on something she wants, she fully intends to get it. That's why she's all over you so quickly. You were a very easy target, and she swooped in immediately and was able to grab you. If you can show her you can stand up to her, she'll ease up a lot. She can be a big softie, you'll see," Terezi assures you. Your mouth twists to the side with uncertainty.

"I dunno if Vriska can be a big softie."

"Okay, I can admit I was sugarcoating it a bit. She can be way less intense and a really good friend. Just try and get to know her," Terezi encourages. You still don't think she's a hundred percent correct about her friend, but she does know her way better than you, so you think you will try to get to know her. You think that she and you could be good friends, for sure. Of course, you said that about Karkat, as well, and he's generally an unpleasant person, but you had a feeling he was going to end up being one of your best friends, too, and you never ignore a gut feeling.

"JOOOOOOHHHHNNNN?!" Your name suddenly pierces through the air, the voice it is emanating from belonging to Vriska herself. You turn to see her searching around the room for you, and you rise up to return back to her.

"Looks like I'm being summoned. Bye, guys," you wave. "Oh, and nice to meet you, Kanaya!" You make your way from the table and appear at Vriska's side.

"Oh, there you are, John! I was wondering where you had gotten to," she says, beaming.

"Hey, do you maybe wanna take a walk or something to the lake?" you ask her.

"I would love it," she accepts your offer, lacing her fingers with yours. You feel your palms start to clam up, but it's really only because you weren't totally on par with relationship stuff. The only girl you dated was with you for a week and you realized that it was only because she knew you brought Lunchables to school. That was also in the third grade, but you still like to think it counts at least a little bit.

You make your way outside the dining hall with Vriska in hand, descending the couple of wooden stairs down to the dirt path leading to the other sections of the camp. You follow it southward towards the lake, entering the marked tree trail. The blue markers lead you along the way and you find yourself ushering your way to the lake a little too fast, but Vriska hasn't seemed to take notice. She's unusually quiet, but you dare not look back at her face and keep walking forward. Eventually there's a break in the thick of the trees and the lake comes to view, shimmering splendidly in the crisp sunlight of the early morning. It's hot as usual due to the Texas climate, but not quite unbearable yet. As you spot the dock, you draw her over that way, thinking that perhaps you can sit her down and talk with her and that maybe the presence of the lull of nature around will keep her in check.

When you're at the end of the dock, you sit down, dangling your legs off the side. You pat the empty spot beside you, beckoning her.

"Come on, sit down!" you exclaim. She eyes you warily but acquiesces, placing herself down on the dock gently. She sits cross-legged instead and balances her weight back on her hands behind herself.

"So--" you begin, but she cuts you off.

"I know what you're doing, John."

"Excuse me, what?" you ask her, puzzled.

"I saw you talking to Terezi and Kanaya. You were trying to figure out a way to get rid of me," she says.

"N-no," you stammer, "That's not it it's just--"

"John, stop. You're fine. I understand I can be a tad bit abrasive sometimes. It's just, I've been having a difficult time and when you came I thought . . . nevermind," she sighs, turning her gaze away from yours. You bite your lip nervously because you really don't know what to do in these sort of situations.

"Uh, Vriska?"

"What, John?" You scratch the back of your head as you kick your feet back and forth.

"You can tell me what you want to tell me. I'll just listen, if that's what you want. I'm willing to be a friend, if that's what you need." She still doesn't meet your gaze, but she centers her attention forward towards the water, watching the tiny ripples in the water as fish and bugs caress the surface.

"Okay," she exhales, gathering her thoughts. "It sort of started before we got here. I was originally travelling with my older sister, her two friends, Terezi, and Tavros, whom you met earlier at the table. We live quite a ways away in Louisiana, but we had heard that there were kids from our area that had gone to this camp with us that they were setting up some sort of space where kids could stay and help each other out when the zombies broke out and everything. We packed up everything we had and made our way across the state to get over here immediately after we found out so that we wouldn't have to be on the run anymore.

"On our way here, we were low on ammo and got caught up in a nasty zombie attack. My sister told me to watch her back and I was, I _really_ was, but then . . . I looked away for one _second_ , and suddenly she was gone. It made me feel awful, first of all, that I let that happen to her. She and I had never been super close or anything, and that made it ten times worse. I felt bad for the way we treated each other and the fact that I never once said 'I love you' to her or anything . . . One of her friends was mad after we had finished fighting and she struck me across the face and gave me this stupid gash that turned into a scar," she says, and you watch her brush her bangs out of her face and notice an eyepatch over her left, which you had not noticed before. When she lifts it, sure enough, there's a huge, nasty scar over her left eye, extending from the top of her eyebrow below her eyelid. She places the eyepatch back over her eye, brushing her bangs over the side of her face to conceal it.

"After that, the two friends ditched me, Terezi, and Tavros, leaving us to fend for ourselves. We had to figure out a way to make it here on our own, all the while watching over Terezi who's blind . . . but I was determined. I was determined that I would get the three of us over here no matter what, and despite what you may think, Terezi was not a liability, not one bit. She was a big part of what enabled us to survive the journey over here, and to that, I owe her my life. Meanwhile, I sort of developed feelings for Tavros while this all happened, and he and I started dating and everything, but eventually the death of my sister caught up to me and . . . I wasn't what you would call a 'good girlfriend'. I pushed him over the edge and soon after he said 'enough's enough' and ditched me. To be honest, I'm not sure if I really even had feelings for him in the first place, you know, but I still feel bad for what I did to him. As you can tell, I've sort of earned myself a reputation around here for being a huge bitch, and I can't say that I disagree with that.

"That leads us to today, and my two cents is that when I saw you, I went for you only because I thought that you were nice and that you would treat me differently, that you wouldn't think poorly of me. I just wanted one person to think that I wasn't a monster, if that makes sense," she finishes explaining her story to you.

You don't speak for quite a long time, thinking her story over through her mind. You're not sure how you feel, but you definitely weren't expecting a whole back story. You honestly just thought Vriska was one crazy chick, when in reality she's . . . just like the rest of you. A scared kid with baggage. You all had some sort of baggage, and this was hers. It was a dog eat dog world (or human eat human), and it had followed up even to a stupid little camp in the middle of an apocalypse. People were always going to be harsh, and she was always going to get a lot of rap for that. You had no doubt that the only reason she wanted you with her was to prove to the others that she wasn't as half bad and that they would start treating her as such, and you can't blame her for wanting that. You look back at her after several minutes, watching her from the side as stares intently at the water, and you reach your hand over, intertwining your fingers with hers as you take hold of her hand.

"Vriska, I can't be what you want me to be right now," you begin, "But I can be something you need: a friend. I promise that I'll be here for you, because I think you're a pretty cool chick. And so what if you're a huge bitch? I'm an asshole and pretty much everybody in that camp is an asshole! That doesn't say anything about who you are as a person." You watch her lips curve into a delicate smile as her cheeks tint pink.

"Thanks, John," she tells you, squeezing your hand. "Oh, and please don't tell anyone any of this. I don't normally going about announcing my life story to people and I'd rather that not start today--"

"Say no more," you tell her, and suddenly, all is well.

 

**Dave: Complain.**

 

"I still cannot believe we had to dress up in hula girl costumes and sing and dance to 'Hips Don't Lie' by Shakira. What the hell kind of summer camp is this?!" you flail your arms in confusion.

"You know, I've come here for years and I still can't tell you that," Terezi admits.

"Hey, I'm just glad those three years of Spanish class paid off for something," John says.

"Yeah, and the fact that Jade really knows how to dance like what the fuck, Jade? What kind of unrecognized talents have you been hiding from us?" you ask her.

"Well, gee, I didn't think to bring it up into conversation when we were slaughtering zombies," Jade quips. "And I only know it because I was a very big fan of Shakira when I was younger. That was my jam!"

"Well, you and John were certainly faring better than Dave and I, that's for sure," Rose comments.

"Hey, Jade, if you know some more of those dance moves you mind showing them to me when we're alone?" you waggle your eyebrows at her. She punches you in the arm.

"Ugh, can you two _please_ not do that here? You're making me uncomfortable," John groans dramatically.

"I have to agree with him, here," Rose says. "Can't you do that in private?"

"That's what I was asking Jade," you tell her, and Jade hits you again, only harder this time. "Ow, okay! Jeez!" You rub your arm, tender from the shock of Jade's iron fist.

"Well, how does it feel to be official campers here?" Terezi inquires of the four of you.

"It feels like I'm a kid again, to be honest," John says. "I don't remember the last time I went to camp."

"I never went to camp before. Is it always like this?" Jade asks.

"Not really, no. I think this camp spawned purely out of the fact that parents wanted to dump their kids off somewhere for two weeks, and to be completely honest, I'm not complaining. This place holds some of the best memories for me. I can't remember which bunk it is, but in the boys cabin I stuck a wad of gum on the side of it, one year. That was my favorite gum wad, too," Terezi grins.

"Ew, that's what that is?! It's all moldy and discolored now it's so disgusting! I think I even touched it the other day," John mimics faking sick. "I think someone's gonna have to amputate my arm now."

"Quit being a baby, John. You'll live," Rose swats at him.

"Ooooh, I think it's smores time, now!" Terezi interrupts, sniffing at the air.

Sure enough, the sweet, sticky scent of marshmallows wafts through the air as sticks are passed around. Everyone takes turns standing around the fire to roast their marshmallows, sitting back down once they are burnt to their liking. You make yours extra-burnt and so does Rose, much to your own liking. John barely singes his and Jade makes her a perfect, golden brown. Crackers and chocolate are tossed your way and you slide the sugary confection onto the cracker-chocolate combo and eat it, the saccharine taste of childhood memories resting delicately into your belly.

As the fire warms all of you, Jade places her head onto your lap and closes her eyes, the lull of the fire drawing her into dreamland. You run your fingers through her hair gently and everyone's breaking out into song, not like the one sung earlier in the cafeteria, and you can't remember for the life of you who sung it, but its an old, familiar tune that calms everyone down in the dark of the night. One person plays the dirge on the guitar, gently plucking out each note as fingers press up against the metal strings as everyone else either hums or sings along softly.

"Hey, Dave?" Jade whispers, drawing your attention down towards her.

"Yeah?" 

"Do you think we're really gonna be safe here? I mean, do you really think that it's gonna be the rest of our lives here?" Her question settles in your head, already acquainted with your mind prior to her asking. You had no idea what to tell her. You certainly didn't want to sugarcoat it. It was such an indefinite that you could not grasp. There was nothing about this life you could really grasp anymore, but then again, could you really grasp life before? 

"I sure hope so," you finally settle on an appropriate answer, brushing fallen strands of hair from her forehead. She closes her eyes and you can feel her humming along with the tune and then you're aware that it's caught in your throat, too. 

 

_There's a battle outside_

_And it's ragin'_

_It'll soon shake your windows_

_And rattle your walls_

_For the times they are a-changin'_

 

Yup. They certainly were.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okey doke, so I've been trying hard to get this chapter because I'm determined to get to a certain part of the narrative because I want to write it really badly. Unfortunately for me that's probably three to five chapters down the road, possible a couple more than that, and unfortunately for you it's more dreary shit so you probably want me to hold off on that for quite a while.  
> In speculation, this whole fic is very close to being halfway completed, so yay for mile markers. I assume (?) that it'll be a little over twenty chapters, and I do have the entire thing pretty much planned out (you wouldn't believe how much I've revised the plot) save for a few details, but other than that it's all ready to be written. A lot of what is hard is figuring out the inbetweens of certain events in order to not rush it and make it make sense to the narrative, so that's why it's been going a little bit slow in writing. I am really determined to write a lot of it, now, so it'll be a tad quicker getting out chapters than the one month span I had stated earlier, but I can't imagine (this is my brazen assumption) that it'll take me shorter than a week to complete another chapter. So basically, the time span you have for getting another chapter is one week to one month. Oh well.  
> Anyway, as I state in all these lovely end notes, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it, keep reading, and happy November! :)


	11. Chapter 11

ONE MONTH LATER.

 

**Dave: Sleep.**

 

_"Okay, what about that Maria chick? I thought you two were hitting it off pretty well."_

_"Nope." You watch as Dirk's lips curve into a smug grin, the kind he wears when he's preparing to tease you about something._

_"Lil' man has a type, then? I bet that's why you're so picky all the time. What do you have a thing for? Brunettes? Red-heads? Oooh, I bet you've got a real boner for the dark-haired beauties! Believe me, I can totally understand--"_

_"Can we stop talking about my fucking non-existent love life?!" you shout at him, the grocery bags in your hands bobbing up and down with each tug of your arm._

_"Okay, fine, we'll stop." And he does stop, right in his tracks. It takes you a moment to realize he doesn't mean it literally, and you follow his line of sight to the alleyway. A man in dark clothing and a ski mask is tugging on something, pulling it. It's hard to catch sight of in the blackness of the night, but the street lamp illuminates the scene, and soon enough you catch the struggle of the man trying to gain control of a woman. Suddenly, bags are pushed into your arms, and you hear,_

_"Stay right here. I'll be right back."_

_He's gone in a flash and you register what's taking place, and your heart begins to race because Dirk never brings the blade with him when you're out in public, no, never out of the house. You find yourself dropping the bags in your place and your feet are moving you faster than you thought possible, the blood rushing to your head as veins pump full of adrenaline._

_You watch as Bro wrestles with the man, releasing the mystery man's death grip on the woman, and he draws back his fist, turning at the last moment when he catches a glimpse of you in the bare light, and he starts to shout,_

_"Dave, get out of--"_

_But his sentence never finishes, just hangs in the air as if suspended in time, and you hear the rip of the gunshot through the air, and you've never seen so much red in all your life, and as the man turns towards you he points his gun and--_

 

You jolt awake from your slumber in a cold sweat, and when you notice almost the entire cabin sitting up in their beds staring you down, only then do you realize you've been screaming. You throw the covers off of you and descend down the back of the bunk, your feet hitting the ground with a hard _thud._ You struggle to pull your pants on your legs and your shirt over your head, both stubborn as if they aren't ready themselves to be put on because it's not your normal time to rise. Eventually they give up the fight and shoes make their way onto your feet shortly after. You turn on your heel to slip out of the cabin, but you hear a small whisper snake its way into the air.

"You okay, man?" John sits up in his bed, eyes still partially shut from the lull of sleep.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Go back to sleep," you order him quietly, turning back around to exit the cabin.

The Texas air is still warm and stale, not so much as it is during the day, but still slightly unpleasant. It's nothing you haven't dealt with before, and your mind remembers to ignore it soon after. Your feet drag across dirt, pulling you towards the lake path, a route you've memorized by heart now. The familiar glow and shimmer is almost absent from the water this time, and you glance up the sky, watching as clouds roll in above, hiding the stars behind the coverage. The moon still peeks out slightly, allowing a bare amount of light below. Your feet press up against worn wooden planks as you walk down the length of the dock, pausing when you reach the end, lowering yourself down to hang your legs off the edge.

Sometimes it's difficult to look at your own reflection. You didn't hate looking at yourself, it was just, well . . . Despite you and Rose being twins, you and Dirk always appeared much more similar to each other. You suppose that's part of the reason you went with him after your mother and father divorced, and it wasn't necessarily that you abandoned Rose, no. You lived right within walking distance of her, and the two of you always made time to see each other. Yet Dirk was your role model, he taught you everything about life and then just like the snap of your fingers he was gone.

That wasn't something you liked to think about often, or at all, even. You didn't even know why you were having these stupid flashback nightmares still. It happened three years ago, so you should be over it, right? When you came here and you finally kissed Jade, that was supposed to be the end of your continuous anguish. Yet why do you still feel so empty?

You tap your foot lightly onto the water, creating a ripple.

_Does Rose feel this way, too? Does she get terrible nightmares about what happened to Dirk even though she wasn't there? Does she feel this hollow inside?_

You feel droplets of rain kiss your skin and you realize it's starting to pour as the ratio of droplets increase. You don't move, letting yourself become drenched with water.

"Dave?"

You turn and find Jade standing at the beginning of the dock, holding an umbrella. Her eyes are still weary with sleep, but her forehead is wrinkled with worry. She walks quickly towards you, offering you a hand. You're reluctant to grab it at first, but after careful consideration you acquiesce. Her face reaches to touch the side your face endearingly, rough, calloused fingers tracing over your flesh.

"What are you doing out here? John told Rose and I that you were screaming in your sleep and I offered to come find you. Are you alright?" she breathes. You contemplate just telling her everything, but something holds you back. Jade does not need to be loaded with your baggage.

" . . . Yeah, I'm fine," you lie through your teeth. Her expression doesn't change as she continues staring straight into your eyes.

"Dave, you can tell me what's bothering you, you know that, right?" You do know that and she's told you numerous times but it's not even a big deal to you anymore. "Please don't shut me out."

"It was just a bad dream, is all. Don't you worry about me," you attempt to reassure her, drawing the best heartening smile upon your face you can muster. She buys into the facade.

" . . . Okay," she says. "Well, let's just get you out of this rain. I don't want you getting a cold because you were stupid and decided that you wanted to reenact a poor man's version of 'Singin' In the Rain'," she jokes, trying to cheer you up. You offer her your hand and she laces her fingers through yours, leaning her head gently against your shoulder. Sometimes, the best medicine for you was being with Jade.

 

**Rose: Read the list.**

 

"Ugh, I would like to opt out of this," John groans beside you as the two of you peer up at the randomly selected list for foragers. You and he had been picked to go out for today, something that you were less than thrilled to do. You've barely been here a month and you just want to stay inside your safe haven for as long as you can. You're still recovering from your adventures of house hopping and getting separated numerous times.

"Yes, I feel the same way, but it's our duty. We need to help find supplies so we can sustain the people at this camp. We'll be fine," you reassure him.

"Do you think if I fake sick I'll be able to get out of this one?" John asks.

"John! Quit trying to eschew your priorities!" you smack him on the arm.

"Ow! What is it with you women and hitting us?" John whines.

"We wouldn't have to do it so often if you weren't being imbeciles all the time," you berate him. "Now come on, we have to go locate Aradia so she can instruct us on what to do." You tug on his sleeve and pull him in the direction of where Aradia might be. You assume since she's always throwing together recreational activities for everyone that she's at the field, a small little open grass patch hidden within the forest.

"So, did you find out what's up with Dave?" You shake your head.

"No, Jade offered to go. Sure assured me that he's fine, but I don't trust Dave one hundred percent. He likes to withdraw from people he's not entirely comfortable with talking about his emotions to, even if he likes Jade a whole lot. The only one he's ever talked about how he's truly feeling with is me, and even then he skimps out on important details. He worries me a lot, to say the least," you sigh. "I guess I'll have to talk to him when I get the chance."

"Hey, Rose?"

"Yes, John?"

"When he woke me up by his screaming, he was yelling out the name, 'Dirk'. I think I remember you mentioning that's your older brother's name . . . did something happen to him?" You stop dead in your tracks when he asks, the question revolving around your mind.

_Do I tell him?_

"He was shot and killed," you confess, leaving out one important detail. "Three years ago." John is silent for a moment, allowing the words to digest. You don't blame him, because no one really knows what to say in situations like this. _"Sorry your brother is dead." "Yeah, so is everyone else."_

"I'm sorry. I know what it's like to lose an older sibling, especially right in front of you," he mutters.

 _Oh yeah,_ you think to yourself, _He witnessed the passing of his own sibling, as well._

"It's okay. I'm sorry about your older sister."

“You know, I think I'm alright with it, now. I think part of what helped me was getting out of that apartment. It held all these old memories that I wanted to keep with me for the rest of my living days, but I don't think they would've wanted it that way. They would've wanted me to keep on trying to survive, for their sake. I'm also very lucky to have such a great cousin like Jade. She's almost as close to having a sibling as you can get," John grins warmly, buck-teeth protruding from his lower upper lip.

"Want another one? I have one to spare," you offer him jokingly.

"No thank you, one is plenty enough," John chuckles, the two of you silently deciding to continue your trek over to find Aradia. You notice John twitch out of the corner of your eye, as if the continual absence of noise is making him uncomfortable. You for one love nothing but the sound of peace and quiet, so it doesn't bother you as much. John remains his intense focus as he searches for conversation topics.

"So, how do you like it here?" he asks a few seconds later.

"John," you say, "We can walk without talking. It's okay." You watch as he chews at his lip, as if withholding years worth of conversations. You heave a sigh and decide to humor him. "It's been delightful. I feel like a normal kid who does normal things and lives a normal, non-zombie infested life. It's all just . . . normal.

"Can it really be just normal? Sometimes I think it's a little too normal, like something is just waiting out there to snatch us up one by one, as if death has decided he's waited long enough." Your eyes widen, glancing over at the boy beside you.

"John, that's incredibly dark, and that's saying a lot coming from me!" you exclaim. "How about we just tone it down a bit and don't let our worries bother us. We're going to be fine." He shuts up then as you push through the trees right into the open threshold where many kids are partaking in a game of soccer. You are able to spot Aradia from the sidelines yelling encouraging cheers as the two teams face off against each other.

"Woo hoo! Go guys! You can do it!" You appear by her side, tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention. She turns around to face the two of you, her eyes lighting up, smile wide.

"Hey, guys! Are you here to join our game of soccer?" You shake your head.

"No, we're here to ask you what we're supposed to do for supply duty? We're on the list today."

"Hm, yes I forgot about that. I guess it's your first time, huh? Don't worry, it's really exciting. You get to find food for your fellow campers, blow off some zombie heads. It really lets off a lot of steam!" Her enthusiasm about the subject does not reflect your enthusiasm, but you still offer her a smile.

"Yes, it sounds . . . interesting. So what do we need to do to get started?"

"Oh yeah! Okay, I think I'm going to have to ditch the soccer game, so give me a second," she tells you, turning back towards the game.

"OKAY GUYS, I'VE GOTTA GO! I'LL BE BACK FOR YOU SHORTLY, SO ENJOY HALF-TIME! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!" Her yelling pierces your ears to the point where you don't think you'll ever be able to hear again. She turns back towards you, smiling sweetly. "Let's go."

She leads you back towards the cabins and takes you to a shed behind the Rec Building, extracting a key from her pocket and sliding it into the lock. It clicks open and she removes the lock from the door, swinging it open to reveal row upon row of guns and black gear.

"Okay, so I'll get you guys fitted first," she says, handing you and John each a pair of pants, a shirt, and a bullet proof vest. "You think it might be a little ridiculous to include the vest, but believe me, we've had problems in the past. The only thing that's worse than zombies are crazy people with guns pretending they own the place and that they can shoot up anything that even so much as breathes." She hands each of you a gun next. "This is your best friend, your assault rifle. You each get a certain amount of ammunition, and the leader of the team will have back up ammunition if you run out, which you _shouldn't_ , but in the case that you do it is there."

"Man, Jade would have a field day if she saw this. You sure you don't want her instead?" John offers.

"Sorry, but we all have to do it. Don't worry, it's not as scary as I'm making it sound. It'll all be water under the bridge," she flashes a grin. "Lastly, you'll have to go to the clothes closet inside the Rec. There in a side closet are boots, which you guys will fit yourself with. Just remember that when you get back you have to return all this stuff, because we need to be able to have all these for the next round of people. You'll report to the front gate at around one where you'll be given more instructions. Got it?" You nod your heads. "Good. Now, if you excuse me," she begins, locking the shed back up, "I've got a game to get back to."

Aradia deserts you and John, and the two of you round the building and ascend the wooden steps inside.

"Do you think she was serious about those crazy people she was talking about?" John asks you.

"I think that if we don't worry about anything, we'll be perfectly fine. It won't take entirely too long and we'll be back in the blink of an eye," you attempt to reassure him.

Inside the Rec kids are buzzing around playing games and chatting. You push through the mass and find your way to the back of the building, finding the room dedicated to clothing. On the right side of the room rests a closet and, as Aradia told you, there are plenty of combat boots waiting. You and John both place your items on the ground and search in the closet for a pair of boots that fit your feet, and eventually you find a decent pair. You collect your items and go, glancing at the clock on the wall in the main part of the Rec.

"Looks like we need to get ready. It's already twelve-thirty," you announce to John.

"Meet you at the gate?"

"Meet you at the gate." John leaves your side to attend to his own clothing and you make your way towards the girls' cabin, pushing the door to the entrance into female land. The girls in the cabin have done a very good job of making it smell as if you were actually experiencing an artificial field of flowers first hand. You settle your stuff on the bottom of your bunk, the one closest to the door.

"Hey, Rose!" Jade leans over the side to greet you.

"Oh, hey," you echo back. "I thought you'd be with Dave." Her mouth drops at that moment, a smile turned quickly into a grimace. Her eyes fall dismal, as well.

"He said he wanted to be alone today. I wish he'd tell me things. I mean, I get that he wants to have his alone time, and that's perfectly fine with me. We don't have to be with each other every minute of the day. I just wish he . . . I wish he trusted me, is all. I guess that's a little too much to ask for, though."

"No, it's not too much to ask for. As his significant other, he should be open with you and vice versa. You should try talking to him about it, as well. Just sit him down when you get the chance and let him know that it upsets you deeply that he won't at least tell you how he's feeling. You don't necessarily have to get down to the nitty gritty, just surface level first. You start off with how he's feeling, then you work your way up to the why," you advise. Jade's trademark smile appears back upon her face as she bubbles with delight.

"Thanks, Rose! I'll take your advice!" She watches with confusion as you put on your new uniform, and you have to admit that you look like a complete and total doofus in it. "What's the outfit for?"

"John and I are on supply duty today," you tell her.

"Oooh, bonding time?" she grins cheekily. You roll your eyes at her, disregarding the notions of her prior statement.

"No, it's more of a, 'slay a bunch of zombies so we can get these children sustenance' kind of time."

"You never know. John might be into that. He might think the way you slay zombies is 'hot'," she giggles. You can't help the playful amusement that delights itself upon your face.

"Yes, I can't say that I won't look attractive while I take down the Flesh with a vengeance. Guys swoon over that kind of stuff. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll be able to sweep him off his feet bridal style as we disappear into the sunset." You finish strapping on your vest and move onto the shoes.

"You still don't want to tell him?" she deadpans. You shake your head.

"What is there to tell? There's nothing between me and John," you remark.

"Yes, nothing but space and infinite possibilities." You smile at your friend's ever-constant optimism and romanticism, finishing a double-knot on your shoelaces.

"Indeed, there is."

 

**John: Don't be scared, Chicken Shit.**

 

"--And in the case of an emergency where you _do_ have to chop off your own leg, I will be carrying an axe in my bookbag. Any questions?" Equius addresses the group.

"Can I go to the bathroom?" a small, scrawny kid named Timothy asks.

"No. Any _serious_ questions?" The entire group is silent. "Good. Let's get ready to move out, then." He unlocks the gate and ushers your group out as you walk together in clumps. Out of the entire group the only people you really recognize are Rose and Equius, with a few faces with faces you can't place names with (besides Timothy, of course.)

"So, are you nervous?" you stroll up next to Rose.

"Perfectly calm."

"Oh, uh, yeah, me too," you say, breathy laughter escaping from your mouth as you bite your lip incessantly to the point where it bleeds.

"You know, it's okay to be a little jittery. They've built it up to be some sort of ordeal, but I think we'll be perfectly fine. Aradia's already explained that our outfits have precautionaries for things if they go wrong, and Equius just relayed to us detailed situations in which we have a plan for each one. We'll be _fine_ ," she attempts to reassure you, placing a delicate hand on your bicep.

"Yeah, of course," you murmur, but your nerves are still unsettled. You can't imagine failing the group for one, which would mean leaving behind Jade and Rose and Dave. You also can't see yourself being able to cope if you let something happen to Rose. You would never be able to face Dave, and you would certainly never get over Rose's death. Both situations did nothing to ease your anxiousness.

"I heard that there's been other campers here that have DIED on a supply run," some kid next to you pesters.

"Would you kindly be a moron somewhere else, Reginald?" Rose chides.

"Don't call me that! It's _Reggie_!" he shouts, falling back to leave the two of you alone.

"What's his problem?" you ask Rose.

"I beat him in several tournaments of chess, which he claims to have been the, and I quote, "World expert in". He still hasn't let that grudge go," she shrugs.

"When was this?"

"Yesterday." You snort, shaking your head at your friend's silliness.

"I think some people are just better at holding grudges, sometimes." You cease conversation with her, then, paying attention to the moving crowd ahead of you. It's nothing but miles upon miles of trees, still. It's been barely ten minutes already, and Equius informed you that it would take anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour to get there by foot. You're awfully glad that you have Rose here for company, because if it was just you and this Reggie guy, you'd rather the zombies go ahead and take you. Or let the zombies take him. That was a good option, as well.

"So, um, how are things with you and Vriska?" Rose interrupts your train of thought abruptly. You raise your brow at her.

"Uhhh, okay I guess? I dunno we're really sort of friends more than anything, nothing more than that. I think she's officially over her infatuation with me?" You swear for a moment that you hear Rose exhaust a breath of relief.

"Oh, okay." Your mouth twists to the side and your eyes narrow, glancing at her suspiciously.

"Why do you ask?" Her gaze doesn't meet yours, but you think you can see the hills of her cheeks dust pink.

"No reason," she responds nonchalantly.

"Afraid you'll lose your good ol' buddy John to all the ladies?" you grin, jabbing her in the side with your elbow playfully.

"Yeah, you caught me," she rolls her eyes at you.

"That's okay, Rose. I know I'm your best friend. You can admit it." She looks over at you, lips drawn tightly.

"You're an absolute dork, John Egbert."

"But that's not a no!" you exclaim.

"It's certainly not a yes, either. Who said I have any best friends?" she crosses her arms.

"I do! You know we're best friends." A breathy chuckle escapes from her lips.

"I'll confess I do have a certain fond regard for you, but I don't know if I would say, 'Best Friends'. Does 'Bosom Buddies' work for you?"

"Okay, call me a dork all you want, but you are just plain weird, Lalonde," you comment.

"What, is 'weird' bad or something?" she tilts her head, her violet eyes sparkling with a sort of allure.

"No, it's good. I like weird," you say softly. Suddenly you feel as though some sort of electric current were running through the air. Both of you realize you've been caught up in the moment and shift an inch or so away from each other, coughing nervously. Man, could Rose get up in your head sometimes.

For the remainder of your trip over you make no attempt at conversation, preferring to just have the time to think. Despite not walking in an orderly fashion, you couldn't help but feel militarized. You also felt like a group of bored teenagers who really just wanted to get this over with and head back as quick as possible so you could crawl into your beds and sleep. Another part of you starts to wonder how a group of teenagers became this organized, but then you remember that this sort of life requires a person to grow up, no matter what age. Twas a difficult life, to say the least.

You feel a shift in energy when the town you are visiting for supplies comes into focus. It's nothing grand or anything, just your average looking urbanized area, except for the utter desertion and silence hanging in the air. A shiver runs down the back and for some reason a million warning signs flash throughout your mind. You remind yourself to calm down and ignore it, because it's only really your nerves getting to you again. The whole team comes to an abrupt spot as you knock into the person in front of you.

"Hey!" the person turns around, expression wrought in anger.

"Sorry," you apologize, holding up both of your hands. The kid turns back around when Equius begins to speak.

"Okay, so for our trip we are going to split into various teams. There's twenty of us in total, so I'm going to make it five people per group. Team one will be heading the food supplies, gathering together any canned or bagged food items or things that have not spoiled yet, and are in charge of finding any sort of drink _EXCLUDING ALCOHOL_ ," he glares. "Team two will be finding any sort of cosmetic supply, like toilet paper or tissues and such as that. Team three will be on apparel and shoe duty, and finally team four will be tool and weapon gathering. I will split you up accordingly." He begins shifting kids around and placing them together, giving them their assigned team. When he reaches you and Rose, he places you with her and three other kids, one of them being Reggie.

"Okay, you are my final team. I would like you to collect the tools and weapons. This is the hardest task, and you will have to be very cautious of any lurking people about, but I have the utmost faith in you," he pats you on the back, which immediately sends you lurching forward. "Oops."

"It's okay," you wheeze, doubled over in pain, "I'll be fine. Wow, you really pack a punch." Equius deserts your group and Rose tends to your side.

"Do you think you'll be able to make it through alright or do you think you'll need to sit this one out?" You swat her away from you, standing up straight immediately.

"Quit being so condescending! I'm fine!"

"Can you two stop flirting so we can go get some goddamn tools?" Reggie interrupts.

"Can you not shut the fuck up, _Reginald_?" you retort. He immediately backs off, silent fury bubbling within all five feet of him.

"Alright, teams, we'll report back here in about twenty or so minutes. If anyone needs anything, just whistle. It's the most effective communication tool. And go!" Equius shouts as everyone scatters. You and your entire group exchange glances with each other, trying to determine what course of action to take.

"I'm thinking we should go to that gun and pawn shop over there," Reggie suggests, pointing to a small, worn down building that literally reads, "Cheapshot Charlie's Gun and Pawn".

"As much as that sounds like the obvious and most benefitting choice, I have to put my two cents forward and say that's the worst idea crafted. Tell me, Reginald, what is happening in our world right at this very moment?" Rose asks him.

"A fucking zombie apocalypse, duh."

"And what is the number one thing that humans need in order to survive under these kinds of circumstances?"

"Uh, weapons?"

"Correct. So that means if we go down into the gun and pawn, most likely it will a.) already be raided, or b.) be a trap. If we go inside we are most likely to get our heads blown off," she finishes explaining, but when the two of you glance back, Reggie and the other two kids are gone. Rose utters a low, throaty growl.

"I'm gonna kill those bastards." You and she run after them down the hill, slowing down only when you reach the front. It's a bit bigger than you previously thought, but no bigger than a CVS store. You creep in through the glass pull-out doors, guns raised as you look around. A lot of it is already missing as Rose previously predicted, but there is still plenty around to gather and take back. Something about the store doesn't settle right with you, still, and you stick closely to Rose.

" . . . Did you hear that?" Rose whispers a moment later. You allow yourself to listen as carefully as possible, to anything that might--"

"BOO!"

"AHHHHHHHH!" you screech, calming down when you realize it's only Reggie and one his new goonies, a member of your supply group.

"Ha, you should've seen your faces! And when John screamed it was fucking classic!" he slaps his knee, bending over and clutching his stomach as he roars with laughter.

"Very funny, Reggie," you hiss at him. "Now why don't you guys fucking help us instead of being the little dickwads you are?"

"Yes, I think that would be be--" Rose begins from behind you, but when she stops talking and Reggie and the other guy stand up perfectly straight, a look of horror apparent upon their faces, you know something's up. When you turn around, a strike of panic rips through your chest and you raise your gun, aiming it at the man who currently has Rose in a chokehold with a gun aimed at her head, her face turning red alarmingly so.

“ _Put your fucking weapons down_ ,” he bellows, pointing to the ground with his gun. Reggie and the other guy do so, but you keep yours gripped tightly in your hands.

“No fucking way,” you snarl, your forehead beginning to drip with sweat. You hear something and look down the aisle left of you without drawing attention to yourself. You see the missing member of the group and he catches sight of the scene, frozen. You give him a slight nod, hoping that he understands what the implications are. You return your gaze to the man, a young guy most likely in his late twenties with bags under his eyes that could carry about twenty pounds worth of groceries home from the store.

“Put your weapon down, son,” he reiterates, tightening his grasp on Rose. She clutches onto his arm, trying desperately to remove herself from his death grip.

“Listen to him, John,” she wheezes. You shake your head.

“He'll only have the upperhand and he can still kill you!”

“Just do it,” she cries, her pathetic violet eyes tearing up. You do as _she_ says, not what the man says, and drop your weapon on the ground, holding up your hands in surrender afterward.

“You think you fuckers can take _my_ weapons? You got another thing coming to you. What you think this is, some kind of a soup kitchen for guns? Come in here and take whatever you want? Well you've got another thing coming to you,” he growls, and you watch as he sneaks his finger on the trigger, your heart practically beating out of your chest as your hands clam up and you shut your eyes tight and right as you're about to foolishly jump in and stop the bullet from being fired--

“Huh!” you hear, and when you open your eyes you see the man crumpled on the ground, Rose free from his tenure. Equius is standing where he once stood, your other member standing behind him. Rose returns to your side, pulling you into a tight embrace as she buries her head into your chest.

“I thought I was going to die,” she breathes. You pet her hair as you grip onto her tightly, resting your head on her shoulder.

“I know,” you whisper back. “But you're not.” You glance over at Equius, not letting go of her.

“Thank you.” He nods, arms crossed.

“I’m sorry you had to experience that. I think that this will be your last supply run for quite some time. I would hate to put you two through this kind of trouble. This should not have happened.” You notice Reggie to the side, who’s gritting his teeth nervously. You grimace, your eyebrows furled in anger.

“Next time, whoever you go with, you better fucking listen to them when they tell you something, because all five of us could have been lying down on this floor cold and dead because you couldn’t be fucking smart about something!” He gulps, slowly nodding his head with understanding. You break from your embrace with Rose, arm around her shoulder as you lead her out of the gun and pawn.

“Come on, Rose, let’s go back to camp.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I wrote a bunch of stuff here before but forgot to actually SAVE it, so i'm just gonna summarize what I said before. Here it goes, in list form:  
> -I have no actual concept of time so for future reference if I ever say how long something is gonna take me don't listen to me  
> -I am going on a mini-hiatus  
> \--this is because i am writing 3-6 chapters (an estimation, so it'll lie somewhere in between there)  
> \--i will post these chapters consecutively (over a period of a few days based on however many chapters there are)  
> \--i will possibly post the next chapter, but nothing after that for a while  
> \--the chapters will mark basically the end of one important part of the story, so there is sadstuck to come :(  
> \--there will be plenty more chapters afterward  
> So that's basically it. I don't know when I'll be done with everything but I will try to work on them as quickly as I can.  
> Anyways, thanks for following along with this long-ass fic and keep on reading! :)
> 
> [[EDIT: I'll add it to the next one, as well, with notes in the beginning. I forgot to add that a time lapse had happened at the beginning of the chapter. There will be more time lapses in future chapters, also.]]


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically, we've entered the "basic stupid teenager shit/angst" portion of the fic and all of them are dumb teenagers every single one of them and it'll turn pretty dark and whatnot but that's not right now.

FIVE MONTHS LATER.

 

**Rose: Celebrate with your dear old friends.**

 

"Oh, happy six months, you two!" you congratulate your brother and his girlfriend who are seated across from each other. You take a seat next to Dave with your plate full of what some people here at camp might consider 'lunch'. You had yet to find a meal that might qualify as such.

"Thanks, Rose," Jade smiles warmly at you before returning her gaze back to Dave.

It was harder and harder these days to hold a conversation those two. It seemed like they were more preoccupied with each other than such things as breathing air. Yet you still sat with them regardless, at least whenever you got the chance. You actually weren't bothered by it much because you had people from book club you would sit with, or John.

Or John.

You weren't entirely sure what was happening between the two of you, exactly. He and you had made designated time for just the two of you, and when he did he would sit and just read books with you, talking occasionally but mostly letting you and him sit in silence. He was very considerate of you and even though it was a very ridiculous thing to harbor silly school girl feelings for him, you couldn't help but feel blood pump into your heart a little faster whenever he was around.

"So, are we on for that movie showing tonight at nine? I'll see if I can persuade the kitchen to let me pack a little picnic or something tonight," Jade offers Dave.

"Yeah, sure thing," he agrees, standing up to lean across the table and kiss her on the forehead. "I'm gonna go hang out with the guys. See you ladies later," he waves, deserting you at the table. Jade heaves a humongous sigh, and you raise your eyebrow.

"I take it that's not a sigh of brazen infatuation?" She shakes her head.

"I dunno, Rose. I really do like Dave a lot and I think I might even be . . . " she hesitates for a moment, a blush rising to her cheeks, "In love with him. It's just, I don't know if he loves me or he's just comfortable with being in a relationship. Do you get what I mean?"

"I guess I do. I wouldn't doubt Dave for a second though. I'm absolutely positive he loves you, Jade," you try to reassure her, but her expression remains exhausted, deflated.

"I know, it's just . . . he's been missing dates, lately. It was sort of okay the first couple of times, but now it's starting to become a constant for him. Or he'll show up late and tell me, "Sorry, Babe, the time just slipped from me." I don't know how to feel about it anymore and I don't know if he's telling the truth and it confuses me and frustrates me and . . . I just _don't know_ ," she whines, burying her head into her arms. You attempt to console her by patting her on the shoulder, but in all honesty, you weren't sure how to respond in a situation like this. You were never very skilled in dealing with emotions, only analyzing them. You try your hardest, however.

"I know it's hard, but just try and talk to him. And if you need me to talk to my thick-skulled brother, I'll happily do it for you, too. Just let him know how unfair it is to you. I'm sure he'll understand." Jade lifts her head from her arms and offers a small grin to you.

"Thank you for being a good friend, Rose." She pauses a moment before adding, "Even if you don't think you are, I still think you're the greatest." You nod your head, heart wrenching a bit.

"Thank you for that, Jade. I needed it."

 

**John: If sports be the food of life, play on.**

 

"John!" Vriska shouts out to you. You notice what she's referring to: Equius is about to plummet into you head on. You shift out of the way on time, dodging his attack. You watch as a member of the red team attempts to sprint past you, hoping to reach your team's flag. You manage to tag her before she can.

"Aw, man," she groans, but retires to your team's jail, anyway.

"Nice defense, Egbert!" Vriska shouts to you, giving you a thumbs up. You grin back at her, but then remember the game is still going on around you. You look to see what the offensive part of your team is doing, and your jaw drops when you see Terezi sprinting for the flag. You're absolutely floored because you actually think the fucking blind girl is going to win the game for you guys when she gains a hold of the flag.

"Hey!" you hear Sollux shout, and suddenly red team players are gaining on her, but she's as smooth as a motherfucker, dodging each grab at the air like she's Daredevil or something. You almost find that credible, and when she crosses over to your side, you believe it one hundred percent.

"WOO HOO!" your team cheers, leaving the defeated red team to bask in the blue team's ultimate glory of winning a stupid game of capture the flag. They lift Terezi in the air, chanting her name and you join in on the fun, striding up next to Vriska.

"TEREZI! TEREZI! TEREZI! TEREZI!"

As the shouts and scream die down, the crowd dissipates, everyone leaving to go bathe or change or just cool off. You head over to the water dispenser left on one of the benches, grabbing yourself a cup of water in order to rehydrate. You feel a slap on your back and jump up, realizing it's only Vriska.

"Relax, Egbert, it's just me," she grins. "You did good out there today."

"Eh, it was all Terezi's doing. Did you know she was secretly Daredevil all along?" you ask her.

"What?"

"Nevermind." She rolls her eyes at you and points to the trail leading back to the main parts of the camp. You follow along beside her, conversing with her as you go.

You and Vriska had become good friends over these few months, which was a great blessing to you. You would often talk to her about whatever was on your mind and she would do the same, and it just felt natural. She was a good friend.

"So, Egbert," she begins, pausing for a brief moment as to collect her thoughts, "There's this movie playing tonight, I heard."

"I did hear about it! I know because Jade and Dave we're planning on going for their six month anniversary tonight!" Her face drops into a bored sort of expression.

"Yeah, that's great. So anyway, I was thinking that since I didn't have anything tonight, and if you didn't have anything tonight that maybe we could go," the words tumble out of her mouth, and you notice her cheeks tinting pink.

"Oh, sure! I'd love to watch a movie with you, buddy." She heaves a sigh, stopping in her tracks.

"You really don't get it, do you, Egbert?" Your eyebrows furrow as your mouth twists to the side with bewilderment.

"I don't understand. What is there to get--" you begin, but suddenly she has you by the collar and is crushing her lips against yours. You're not quite sure what to do, and your arms stay restrained to your sides, paralyzed. She releases you a moment later and you gain balance back onto your feet.

"I really like you, John," she breathes. "And no, it's not that stupid kind of like that I harbored for you months ago. I really like you and your dumb face and dumb glasses and goofy smile and horribly awful taste in movies and I really hope that you like me too."

"Uhhhhhhhhhh," you sputter, the only word able to exit your mouth.

"Fine," she grunts, pushing you out of the way and storming off. You shake yourself from your kiss-induced trance and jog to catch up with her.

"Vriska, wait!" you huff, still jogging as you follow beside her.

"What do you want? Can't you see I want to be left alone out of pure humiliation?" she growls.

"No, listen," you stop, catching onto her arm in order to talk to her. You pull her back to where you're standing and plant her into the ground by the shoulders, facing you. Her gaze doesn't meet yours and instead she looks off to the side, pouting.

"Well, go on. I don't have all day."

"Look, to be honest with you, I'm not sure how I feel. There's this other girl that I think I might like but then I'm not sure if I'm really her type or in her league to be exact--" you ramble, but she cuts you off.

"Rose."

"Excuse me what?" She folds her arms against her chest.

"I know you like Rose. The way you look at her when you think she's not looking but really she does know and she gets this smug look on her face," she grits her teeth clenching her fist.

"Really?" you grin, your eyes lighting up. Vriska groans, placing a hand on her face.

"Ughhh, why did I tell you that? Now I'm just practically driving you to her arms."

"No! No, I'm sorry, that's not what I'm trying to do here. What I'm trying to say is that I don't know how I feel at the moment. I like you a lot and I think you're amazing and I get along with you really well and all it's just I really like Rose too and I don't think it'd be fair to either of you if I started a relationship with one of you. I need to figure out my feelings first," you explain to her. "I'm sorry if that's not what you want, but I don't want to hurt you." You watch as the corner of her lips tug upwards as she processes the information you just fed her.

"You really think I'm amazing?" You nod your head.

"I really do." She heaves a breath of exhaustion, crossing her arms once again.

"You know, this offer won't last forever."

"I understand."

"But thank you for considering my feelings. No one's ever done that for me before," she smiles softly. You pat her on the back, continuing your trek back towards camp.

"C'mon, let's go get some food. Capture the flag really burns some calories."

 

**Rose: Read books with delight.**

 

When don't you?

You are busy reading a literary classic, "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" (you and several other members of your group were outvoted, your pick of "Ulysses" being named, "too long" and "difficult".) It's not something you would pick up on a whim or even at all to begin with, but it is a charming book about four girls who wear a magic pair of pants. There is no real reason why these pants are supernatural or even questioning by the protagonists if the pants are of the supernatural kind, so you gave up the idea that you would get something out of the book long ago and just continued reading it with no thoughts whatsoever.

"Hey, Rose!" John greets you as he walks into the library.

The library was an extremely small room filled chockablock with books that you could only guess functioned as a sort of lounge for the counselors at one point. Each wall is covered with a shelf piled full of books and right underneath the window is a faded, antique couch. You requested to have the room to yourself one hour every day, and you were granted such a luxury (in exchange for a month's worth of cafeteria duty, which was, surprisingly, much worse than supply duty was.) John volunteered to come sit with you during that hour every day and would read alongside you peacefully. You never even had to ask him if he wanted to.

"Hello, John," you regard him warmly as he plops himself down on the couch next to you, picking up a book off the floor.

"Ah, looks like it's 'The Awakening' today for me," he says, flipping the book open to the beginning of the novel. You grin smugly because you know he has no idea what it is about to begin with.

"Oh, so you're into the feminist literature, too?"

"Who says I wasn't?" He nonchalantly flips through the pages briefly. "This book will be a piece of cake."

"Okay, whatever you say, John," you humor him, returning your gaze to the book in your hands. You feel John fidget through the couch as he moves his legs back and forth. You try to ignore it, but the incessant shaking begins to bother you.

"John, quit shaking your legs," you order him. He ceases shifting his legs.

"Sorry," he mutters quietly, returning to the book. You settle back into yours again, reading over the same sentence that you left off last ti--

"John!" He jumps when you shout at him, dropping his book on the floor.

"Oh, shoot." He places his hands over his knees to keep from shaking them.

"What has you all jittery? You seem nervous about something," you notice. "You can tell me." You watch as he turns his focus away from you, eyes shifting to the ground as blood begins to rush to his face.

"It's nothing, really. I mean, you know how that movie thing is going on tonight?" Of course you remember, but in his presence you recall something else you were going to do. You had been meaning to try and ask him if maybe he'd accompany you, but you weren't entirely sure if you wanted to execute that plan or not. With bated breath, you decide to ask him.

"Yes, of course! Actually, I was meaning to ask you something in regards to that," you admit to him, feeling the warmth in your face, now. "John, would you like to--"

"VRISKA KISSED ME," he blurts out, cupping his hands afterward as if he had accidentally spilled a big secret or something. You're taken aback by the statement.

"Come again?" He heaves a sigh, collecting his thoughts before he continues.

"I was walking with Vriska earlier and she kissed me and ask me to go with her to see the movie tonight."

"Did you say yes to her?" you ask, arms folded against your chest.

"W-well, not _exactly_ ," he stammers. "I was just waiting to see if maybe someone else had an opinion about it." When his cyan eyes fall onto yours, you understand he means you.

_He just wanted to get personal advice on it, that's all._

You feel your chest tighten a bit, stomaching your next response you're about to utter out of your mouth.

"Go with her," you urge him. "I think you two will have fun." He watches you with a puzzled expression upon his face, brows furrowed and lip curved downward.

"Are you sure?" You nod your head.

"Yes, I think that Vriska is a very good match for you. I mean, who knows you better than her?" you chuckle, digging your nails into the couch cushions.

" . . . Yeah," John responds in a low, quiet tone. You suddenly feel quite uncomfortable and lift yourself off the couch, gathering your things.

"I think I'm going to go, John. I'm just . . . I have kitchen duty," you lie, slapping yourself mentally. Damn. Guess you were pulling yourself into another shift unwillingly.

You make your way to the door, placing your hand on the handle, pausing a moment when John says something.

"Bye, Rose." You don't turn around to face him, but swallow, trying to rid of the lump in your throat.

"Bye, John." You ditch the library, making your way to the girl's cabin.

You weren't going to cry because some guy you thought that maybe you possibly had strong feelings for wanted to be with another girl. That was so above you. Besides.

All's fair in love and war.

 

**Dave: Viva la Poker Night.**

"I bet," you decide after carefully examining your cards, tossing the colored poker chips into the center of the folded table.

"You wanna know what I bet? I bet you've got fuckin' nothin', Strider," Eridan growls, calling your bet.

"Nah, Texas Hold 'Em is my forte, boys," you grin smugly, leaning back in your chair, hands propped up behind your head. "You ain't got nothing on me."

"As much as I'd like you to win in order for you to revel in the glory that is you--WAIT A MINUTE. I don't fucking give a shit about you and your fucking ugly, pretentious, sack of shit face and I hope you burn to the ground," Karkat growls, throwing his chips into the pot.

"As always, Karkat, you are just a ball of fucking delight. I don't know how you do it," you quip, rolling your eyes.

"I . . . fold?" Tavros hesitates, cards shaking in his hands.

"Just make a decision, Tavros. We haven't got all day, and you're already wasting my breath by taking away precious minutes that I could've kept onto my lifeline," Karkat berates him.

"Yo, don't mothafuckin' do that to Tavros, bro. He's just havin' a hard time decidin' is all," Gamzee mediates, turning his gaze over at Tavros with admiration. That was a complex relationship that you just did not understand. Tavros was a high anxiety kid with self-esteem issues and Gamzee was a sort of weed and Bob Marley kind of guy. However, you really didn't care because they could do whatever they wanted and you just would not give a single shit.

"Can you bitches just hurry up?" Sollux growls. "You're taking so goddamn long. I've met old grandmas who operate computers faster than you."

"Oooh, why? You gotta be somewhere, Sollux?" Terezi chuckles from beside Karkat.

"Okay, I still don't understand why she's here. You can't see a thing!" you exclaim. She gasps, obvious mock sarcasm oozing out of her mouth.

"Dave, I'm appalled! How _dare_ you make fun of a blind girl."

"I'm not making fun of you, I'm just stating the obvious, like the fact that you need to fucking see everything in front of you in order to play the game."

"Well, I'm really only here to bask in the glorious scent of dirty laundry and week-old pizza," she grins. "That and make fun of Sollux. So how's Ara--" Sollux cuts her off by slapping a hand over her mouth.

"That's enough of that!" he shouts, emphasizing the 's' sound courtesy of his lisp. Terezi grabs his hand in order to attempt to remove it from her face, but not before tracing her tongue over it like a dog might, only sloppier and grosser and not as adorable in any form. "EW! FUCK! THAT'S FUCKING GROSS, TZ!"

"Don't mess with the Pyrope," she states, folding her arms across her chest. You jump when you hear the door burst open, a panting John standing below the frame panting intensely.

"MOVIEDATENERVOUSHELP," the words tumble out of his mouth incoherently.

" . . . Come again?" you ask. He holds up a finger asking for a second, trying to regain his breath.

"I have a movie date with Vriska and I don't know what to do like how does that even work is there some sort of handbook that covers this sort of situation or life in general really because I am just thinking a million words per minute and--" John rambles, the words stumbling out of his mouth almost as fast as he had said before.

"Yeah, well that's--HOLY SHIT," you rise from your seat immediately, knocking your apple juice across the table on accident. "I FORGOT ABOUT MY DATE WITH JADE. SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT." You shuffle around the room quickly while John runs in a circle with his hands against his head.

"What the fuck are you two idiots scrambling around like chickens with their heads cut off for? Not that this is different from your behavior in general, but--what the fuck is Egbert even doing?!" Karkat interrupts the panic fest.

"It's called, 'I'm-in-a-relationship-and-I-made-a-fucking-commitment-so-I-better-fucking-haul-ass'. Ever heard of it?" You push open the drawers of the joint dressers, turning back around to face the people seated around the table. "Does anyone have some fancy-ass clothing?"

"I've got a black blazer," some kid pipes up. "It's in the third drawer on your left." You push aside the mass array of clothes and find it seated in the drawer the kid instructed. You pull it over, giving yourself a once-over to make sure that you look fancy as fuck. And you do, because you're motherfucking Dave Strider!

"Aw, yisssss," you grin.

"So what the fuck are you going to do about that bumbling idiot over there?" Karkat asks, gesturing towards John. You notice that he's still running in circles frantically around the room.

"Uhhh," you drawl, "I think he's fine. John, quit running around and let's go." You catch him on the arm as he flashes by you, causing him to snap back sort of like a stretched bungee cord. It seems to pull him from his anxiety-induced stupor, and you grab him by the shoulders. "JOHN. WE ARE GOING. NOW." He nods with understanding as you exit the cabin, descending down the wooden stairs.

"DAVE, WATCH OUT YOU MIGHT--"

On your way down you trip, face-planting into the dirt humiliatingly.

"Fuck," you curse under your breath as you taste a mouthful of soil.

"I tried to warn you about stairs, bro. I tried to tell you, dawg," John peers over you from above arms folded across his chest.

"Can you just do me a favor and shut the fuck up while helping me off the goddamn ground? Is that too fucking much to ask?" you grumble. John crouches down and extends a hand, helping you off the dirt and back onto your own two feet. He helps dust off any remaining debris that might have taken up on your jacket and then the two of you begin to walk off toward the movie showing in the field.

"So Jade's definitely gonna kill you, right?" John asks, his mouth twisting to the side nonchalantly. You glare at him.

"Don't fucking remind me. So, you scored yourself a date with Vriska, then? I thought you sorta had the hots for--"

"Shh, just don't ruin it," he stops you, face falling sullen. "Anyway, can you help me out with this stuff, bro? I don't have a clue how to romance a lady in the slightest." You chuckle at your bespectacled friend.

"Alright, all you gotta do is compliment your lady and give her your undivided attention, then, when the moment's right, you go for first base, which might lead into second, _if you're lucky_. If you're a stallion, then you make a home run."

"I already got to first base with her," John states matter-of-factly.

"What? Already?!" you exclaim. "How do you have more game than me?" He shrugs.

"She kissed me today and then told me she liked me. We were out playing capture the flag before it happened, and by the time we were done we were all sweaty, so I have no idea how I could've been so appealing at that moment. I don't think it's me who has the game." You exhaust a breath of relief.

"Good. I was gonna say--" John drags you by the arm then, getting the two of you moving along again.

"Look, as much as I'd like to talk about how much of a lucky dork I am to have a lady putting the moves on me we need to get you to Jade. If I know her, and I do, she's going to be absolutely livid." You shut up immediately and follow him, praying that you might make it through the night, all of you still intact.

 

**Jade: Prepare to kill Dave.**

 

You weren't really sure if you were a culminating ball of pure melancholy, or absolute rage. You were almost like a ticking time bomb, and if someone were to touch you, you would most likely explode and find the whole crowd of movie goers feeling your wrath. You did not want that to happen, because you like to consider yourself a lady who can keep a very good handle on her own emotions. Well, you'd like to think that, at least.

You feel a light jab in the back, suddenly, as if someone were tapping you with their foot. You turn and look up to find the perpetrator, Dave Strider. He removes one of his hands from his pockets and gives a slight wave. You narrow your eyes at him and point to the path leading away from the field so that the two of you can talk. He acknowledges your notion and walks that way, you following in tow. When you're out of earshot, you let him have it.

"Look, Jade--"

"Oh, no, you look _here_ , Dave Strider," you jab him in the chest with your index finger, "You knew _exactly_ what time to come here! Hell, we've been planning this fucking date for weeks! Six months, Dave! We've been together six months! Do you know how long that is in teenage years? That's a freaking eternity! I just wanted one night where maybe you wouldn't be late to a date simply because you 'forgot'. I just wanted this one thing, and you can't even let me have this. I was able to get the kitchen to allow us some food for a small picnic like I said, because this is important to me. You are important to me. Am I not important to you?" You feel yourself tremble on the verge of tears.

"Jade . . . " he breathes, his stature stiff as he contemplates what his next move will be. He brings his hands up to his face and removes his shades, placing them atop his head, his crimson irises on display for only you. You soak in his gaze, trying desperately to read his expression while you can. They look hurt and pathetic, probably almost as sad as yours. He reaches a hand over to touch your cheek gently, and instinctively you lean into it, eyes drawn shut. He steps closer as he presses his forehead against yours, his breath hot as it caresses your skin.

"You're so fucking important to me, you have no idea, Jade Harley. Don't you dare think otherwise, not even for a second." He presses a delicate kiss upon your forehead before stepping back. He touches the other hand to your cheek and moves your head upward in order to gain your full attention.

"Why do you forget, then?" He shakes his head at you.

"You know how you wear those colored bands on your fingers? I am so shitty at remembering things. I have an even worse memory than a grandma with alzheimers." He considers what he said for a moment. "Wait, that was an awful comparison. Don't listen to that." A breathy chuckle escapes your lips, and he begins to smirk. "I knew that'd get a giggle out of you. Look, Jade, I'm not saying me forgetting dates is forgivable, 'cause it's not. What I'm saying is, is that I, Dave Strider, am a shitty boyfriend and you should probably lower your standards a whole lot in order to be able to deal with me."

"Oh, shut up," you smile, leaning in to press your lips against his. He holds you back, hands placed on your shoulders.

"Wait, wait, wait, I'm not done yet! Jeez, give me a minute, won't you, Harley? . . . . . . . . What I'm trying to say is . . . shit," he mumbles, looking away as if recollecting his thoughts, then turns back to face you. "I think you're a pretty bitchin' girl, Harley, and I think I'm in love with you." Without hesitation you place your hands on the sides of his head and draw him into you, pressing your lips against his. You only pause for a brief moment, in order to tell him,

"I love you too, Dave."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh jeez. So it's been awhile. What have I been up to, might you ask? Well, funny you should say that, during my "short" hiatus (haha, I'm a jokester), I actually have been writing this thing. I'm up to eleven whole chapters written and completed after this one, and I'm still going. Why haven't I posted them? Mostly because it gets into some tough shit and I want it to be good and when I originally finished it I wasn't so sure about it so instead I planned on writing the whole thing and then posting it. The bad news is I am not finished, but the good news is I am the about-seven-chapters-away kind of finished. So I am oh so very close to the end, thank the lord. I finally decided that at least this chapter is good enough to be posted, and really in the end I should just post whatever I've got and let it be. Also, being sick and not writing a thing has contributed to my want to post this. Anyways, I'm sure I might end up posting more chapters in the future and happy holidays and thanks for reading!!! :)
> 
> ((i usually post updates about this fic on my tumblr exterminateregenerateassimilate.tumblr.com/tagged/crossroads in case anyone is curious and was like "oh man will this ever continue???" and the answer the whole time has been "yes"))


	13. Chapter 13

SIX MONTHS LATER.

 

**Rose: Talk to Kanaya.**

 

"I cannot believe I am saying this, but I think the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series has been one of my favorite series I've ever read," you tell Kanaya over your lunch of canned corn and mashed potatoes. You've been able to cultivate some plants here at the camp, thanks to Jade and a few others, successfully growing some tomatoes and potatoes so far. You're not sure you can really stomach several more days worth of mashed potatoes, though.

"Are you serious?" Kanaya asks incredulously.

"Absolutely not." You scoop up another bite full of mashed potatoes and corn as she exhales a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank goodness. I thought that you were being absolutely genuine when you said that. I was almost very concerned for your well being."

"Hey, guys. Has anyone seen Dave around?" Jade interrupts the two of you quietly as she seats herself at your table. You notice the creases in her forehead, her eyes full of exhaust and worry. She seemed to don an exhausted look more often, now, and you were trying desperately (without prying, of course) to figure out what was up with her. You could only imagine that it wasn't anything good, to say the least.

"I think John said he was staying in bed again today. He said he didn't feel well," you answer her. Her face drops completely now, but she still has a look as if something is bothering her.

" _Oh_ ," she mutters softly, pushing around corn with her spoon.

"Is something the matter, Jade?" you ask.

"Yeah, but it's nothing, really. Don't worry about me," her face lightens up almost instantly as she draws her face into a barely convincing smile. You're easily able to see through her facade.

"Kanaya, could you please leave me and Jade alone for a moment? I hate to request such a thing, but I'd prefer to speak to her privately," you turn to your friend. She rises from the table, grabbing her tray.

"Of course, Rose! If you would like to talk again you do know where to locate me," she grins, departing from the two of you. You avert your attention back to Jade.

"Jade, is something the matter with you and Dave? I know it's almost been a year and that can be a tough time for a lot of couples but--"

"That's just it," Jade cuts you off, straining her voice. "It's almost been a year and we shouldn't be having problems but we are and I don't know what to do. I mean, I do love Dave, I really do, it's just sometimes . . . it's hard to." You place a reassuring hand on your friend's shoulder.

"It's okay to feel that way, Jade. What has Dave been doing that's frustrating you so much?"

"Well, you know how he's been claiming he's sick a lot lately? It's not really that, exactly. I mean, if he was truly sick I wouldn't mind it it's just . . . he's been having days where he'll just stay in his cabin all day and not come out, and then whenever I try to talk to him about it he shuts me out like normal. Then when he's stopped doing that he'll come out of the cabin and pretend like nothing ever happened, and when I ask him about it he brushes it off every time. I just want him to talk to me, for god's sake. I want him to at least acknowledge me when I sit beside him in his bed, comforting him. I want him to let me understand his pain, not cause me pain. Is that too much to ask for?" You furrow your brow.

"He's been just sitting in his room doing nothing?" She nods her head.

"That's all he seems to do anymore."

"Hmm, interesting, indeed. I don't know what to tell you, Jade. I can try and talk to him if you want--" you offer, but Jade stops you.

"No, it's fine. I . . . I think I know what I need to do. But before I do, can I ask a favor of you? I'm not sure if I'll be able to do this myself for quite awhile."

"Of course, anything for a dear friend of mine."

"Watch over Dave for me. Just, _please_." Her bambi eyes plead with yours a moment before she removes herself from the table, exiting out the double doors of the dining hall into the rain.

As she leaves, your nostrils are filled with the scent of petrichor, one of your favorite aromas. The gloominess of the sky did nothing to lift anyone's spirits, but you happened to like the rain. The sky seemed to notice that by giving your area a good dosage of it on and off for the past two weeks. Your enjoyment of it quickly deteriorated and changed to absolute disinterest, and the rest of the camp lethargic in response to it.

You admit, Dave's behavior had been slightly off from the norm, but you had made the accident of attributing the recent pattern to the rain. It was much, much more than that, and it was making him suffer and Jade along with it. You wish she would have just told you that he was like this, but you guess she thought she could handle it, and yet, unfortunately for her, how wrong she was.

You think you understand exactly what her next course of action is, and so now you just sit back and wait for the storm.

 

**Jade: Think.**

 

You were on edge. You were nervous and scared and a million thoughts were running through your head per second. Part of you didn't want to go through with it, and that part of you was making you stay inside your cabin and pace, much to your other bunk mates' chagrin. It didn't help that the rain outside created a deathening ominous gloom about, and you hated that you were even remotely considering this, but you had to go through with it.

No matter how much it hurt your heart.

No matter what amount of staggering pain and suffering it might put you through.

It was for the best.

You pull on your rain boots and jacket and open the door, braving the onslaught of pouring water. Your feet trace the path to the boys' cabin, splashing in the puddles accumulated in the dampened dirt along the way. You try to imagine a million ways this can go in your mind, and each scenario is just as painful as the next, so you attempt clear your mind of the thought to the best of your ability. It doesn't work, as your mind becomes plagued with a million other thoughts that stress you out.

Once you're in front of the cabin you ascend the creaky wooden steps out front slowly, your legs trying desperately to become paralyzed against your own will. Your heart is running marathons when you place your hand on the brass door knob and twist it open. As you enter, you spot him in the windowsill towards the back of the room, staring out of the pane intensely. The other boys in the room notice you and you glance at them, shooting them a look that tells them to scatter. They take the hint, pulling the other remaining guys out of bed and scurrying out of the cabin, leaving you and Dave to yourselves. You press on further down the floor, stopping several yards away from him.

"Hey," you mutter weakly, the words barely escaping your mouth. He doesn't hear you, and you walk closer to him in order to gain his attention. "Dave," you pipe up again, and this time he recognizes the sound of your voice, turning towards it.

"Oh, hey, Harley. I didn't realize you were here," he smirks, running a hand through his vanilla blond locks.

"Yup, I'm here," you off him the best smile you can muster at the moment, which isn't really much of one. "We need to talk." He removes himself from the windowsill, spinning around to meet your gaze.

"Yeah, about what? I'm all ears," he raises an eyebrow, face full of innocence. Your tongue becomes tied and your mind is abuzz and somehow you manage to force the words to escape your lips.

"I think this . . . _us_ . . . just isn't working." You swear you almost hear glass shatter as shit hits the metaphorical fan at the same time, and his mouth drops with confusion.

" . . . What?" You sigh.

"Dave, we need to take a break." He stands up almost immediately, rising to meet your gaze.

"I don't understand. Y-you want to _break up_ with me?" You twiddle your thumbs together, thinning your lips.

"Yes, I do."

" . . . Why?" Why? _Why?_ You scramble to find the mental list you've culminated.

"Dave, we're not good for each other," you explain as calmly as possible. "You won't talk to me and you try and brush off any jab at conflict that arises between us. You have days where you don't even acknowledge I'm there. You put me up on a pedestal that I don't even need to be on in the first place, and then you shut me out all the time. I can't sit here and pretend that I'm making a difference when I'm clearly not wanted." You feel your lip tremble and salty tears rise in your eyes as you desperately try to contain them.

"That's not true. I want you so badly, can't you see?" His voice cracks and you can feel him start to break down. "I need you, Jade." You shake your head at him.

"You can't use me as a cure for all your problems, Dave. I'm not some miracle cure. I'm only a girl who wants to help you get better, but you won't let me! You don't want to have fights and talk about things like normal couples do and you won't let me in! It's like you've created a barrier around you and shut yourself off from the world!" your voice rises and you feel a single tear streak your cheek. You move your eyes to the ground, rubbing at them with your forearm.

"We're fighting right now!" he exclaims, desperation embellished in his wavering tone.

"It doesn't matter, Dave! I can't sit around waiting for the day you're going to want me around. We aren't good for each other right now. It's just not working." More tears spill down your cheeks, changing from streams to waterfalls. "I-I can't do this anymore. I just _can't_."

You dare glance up, and you're taken aback by how much raw emotion he's exuding for once in his life. His shades are atop his head now, crimson eyes exposed and pleading, dark bags buried beneath. He's not crying, but you can feel the stinging pain and tightening of his chest. His lips are drawn into a tight grimace and his jaw is set and he just looks weak.

"Jade, don't do this," he chokes out, reaching for your arm. You step back, placing even more distance between you and him, shaking your head.

"I'm doing this for your own good, Dave. I want you to get better and you've made it clear that I can't help you. You've been pushing me away, Dave, and I'm tired of feeling shut out. _I'm so sorry_."

You don't refrain from experiencing another moment of torture and turn on your heel, sprinting out the door as tears stream down your face. Once outside, you shut the door tightly behind you, leaning against it in order to catch your breaths that have shifted to stifled sobs. It doesn't work, so you press on out into the rain, not even bothering to pull your hood on this time as cool rain drenches you completely. You race off towards the only place you know where you'll be alone, or at least with someone who you don't mind seeing you cry.

You press against the door with your shoulder and push it open, clambering inside the library out of the wet weather. You're in luck when you discover no one is here, so you make your way to the couch, drawing your legs tightly against your chest. It dons on you that maybe you wish, perhaps, that you had never met him in the first place. Then you could be alone, your dog would be alive, and you wouldn't have to feel so much pain.

You were awfully tired of crying.

Dave: Drag yourself to dinner unwillingly.

You were positive you didn't want to leave your bed at all possibly ever again, but your stomach was rumbling and it was necessary to eat at least a little something. So you were going to brave a trip to the dining hall.

You remember numerous times where you've been stabbed by Bro's sword, or the time you nearly severed your ankle on barbed wired (you had the scar to prove it), but you've never felt such intense internal pain before. If someone had asked you within the last year whether you and Jade would last together, you would've said _"Hell yes!"_ without hesitation. You didn't want to find someone else and to be honest, you had never really felt this strongly about anyone before. She was something that always managed to make you feel like maybe your life wasn't so shitty.

And then you let her slip right from your fingers, and she was no longer yours. You hate being alone, but you guess it's what you do best.

_You are a loner, Strider. Always have been, always will be._

Part of you prays that she will not be in the dining hall, and your wish seems to have been granted when you enter and that proves true. You're not sure if you could handle facing her right now, not for a while.

You get in line behind the other kids and pick up a tray, waiting to be served food. If you're going to guess it's most likely rice and beans, and when you are handed the plate, your guess is correct. You turn and your eyes scan the cafeteria for somewhere to sit. You spot some of the guys you hang out with (you suppose you can call them your friends), but you'd rather eat alone. You weren't in the mood for socializing, or really anything at all.

You spot an empty table and make your way to it quickly, dropping the tray onto the hard surface as you slump onto the bench. You stare at the food in front of you and push it around with your fork, trying to muster up some what of an appetite. It doesn't seem to manifest.

"Hey, Dave! Long time no see!"

The peppy voice behind you is distinct and familiar, and you can only accredit it to none other than the one and only, John Egbert. He places his tray of food down on the table at the seat across from you, lips drawn into a bright smile.

"Oh, hey, John," you greet him somewhat lazily, still playing with your food. "You're not sitting with Vriska?"

"No, I figured I'd sit with you, if that's okay! I realized I needed to make more time with my other friends, so sorry if it's seems like I've been ignoring you guys." You shrug.

"It's . . . okay." He cranes his head, as if searching for someone in the room.

"I know Rose is having her book club thing, but where's Jade? Shouldn't she be with you?" He really did know what subjects to bring up at the worst times.

"Uh, we sort of . . . uh . . . broke up," you mutter, placing your fork down on your tray, losing any chance you had at an appetite. John's mouth drops into a grimace, his forehead creased with worry lines.

"You _what_? What happened?"

"Essentially what she said was that I was being a shitty boyfriend and that we weren't good for each other. I can't say I blame her. It's true. I should've known I'd fuck this up."

"I'm so sorry," he apologizes.

"You don't have to apologize or anything. It is what it is. Life is shit and being a teenager sucks."

"Of course it is, but it really shouldn't have to suck. I mean, yeah we're technically still teens, but we're eighteen now. That's like, adulthood for us," he says, scooping a bite of food with his spoon and placing it into his mouth.

"Does that really matter, though? I don't know if we can count as adults anymore, we just exist. No one is yelling at us to get jobs or get our lives figured out. It's just one big shitty pile of doing the same fucking thing over and over and basically waiting out the day we die." John's expression turns to a look of horror.

"Jeez, that's gruesome, Dave!"

"Well it's true! Don't you _dare_ tell me you haven't thought the same thing!" His mouth twists to the side as he contemplates the statement.

"Whether I've thought about it or not, you just gotta relax. You could join our flag football team we're forming!"

"Ohhh hell no. I am not joining some sports team. I do not do sports, and I am not about to change my opinion on that," you refuse, folding your arms against your chest.

"Come on, Dave. It'll be fun! Besides, it'll give you a chance to blow off some steam and take your mind off of things. You never know, you could be really good at it," he attempts to sway you, waggling his eyebrows as he pokes you with the end of his spoon. You heave a sigh of defeat, giving into his demands.

"Fiiiiine, I'll play your stupid little game. But don't you think for one second that I'm going to enjoy this." He grins his stupid, signature Egbertian grin, buck teeth and all.

"Excellent! You're not gonna regret this, Dave!"

For some reason, you feel like you will.

 

**Rose: Retire to the library.**

 

"Alright, see you later, ladies!" you wave to your group as you exit the Rec, Kanaya following behind you.

"I am so glad that we managed to get our next read to be Pride and Prejudice. I do not think I can handle another book about a group of girls and their questionable magical pants. It is not of my tastes, to say the least. Yet I do have to admit, the heartwarming ending was certainly endearing," she comments.

"Yes, it will be a nice change of pace to switch to a more classical piece. I haven't read Pride and Prejudice in the longest time," you agree. "Oh, do you want to go to the library with me?"

"I would be delighted to! I have been meaning to make a trip there all week, so I suppose it is only well overdue," she chirps. "It is certainly one of my favorite places to just sit and relax, away from all the hustle and bustle of camp."

"I couldn't agree more," you tell her as the two of you clamber up the steps to the door of the library, turning the metal doorknob. After you close the door behind you, you spot Jade sleeping on the couch, her eyes a lingering, puffy red.

"Oh dear," you breathe, making your way to her side.

"Should I leave? I do not want to be a bother," Kanaya asks. You shake your head.

"No, please stay. You're her friend, too, and I think that she might like all the support she can get." You sit next to Jade on the couch, placing a hand tactfully onto her shoulder, nudging her gently.

"Jaaaade," you call out to her softly. "Jade, it's Rose." She stirs immediately from her slumber, then, sitting upright as she stretches her arms in the air, bringing her fists to rub her eyes underneath her glasses afterward.

"Wha happened?" she mutters as she yawns, fatigue still clinging her tightly to its chest.

"That's what I'd like you to tell me. You fell asleep on the couch in the library. Is everything okay?" Her moss green eyes shoot open, then, and you notice fresh tears billowing from her ducts.

"I . . . I broke up with him," she manages to utter. "I didn't want to, b-but I had to. I don't know if it was really worth it." She pulls her legs up to her chest and wraps her arms around them, resting her head atop her knees.

"Well, perhaps some time apart is worth it, Jade. He needs help, and I don't think a relationship is good for him right now, anyway." She remains quiet, only for a few seconds, but then says,

"I meant, I'm not sure if it was worth it, to go with him in the first place."

"Oh. _Oh, Jade_ ," you furrow your brows, wrapping an arm around your friend as you lean your forehead into her hair. "You've really been put through the shitter, haven't you?" She lets out a half-laugh half-sob, her lips drawing upward into a tiny half-smile.

"Yeah, kind of. You really think I'm going to be okay?" You nod your head.

"Definitely. You have my word. And if you need to talk to me any time at all, don't hesitate. It's no trouble at all for me."

"I do not mean to intrude, but I would like to say that I too will be here for you. I always enjoy gardening all the time with Jade, so if you would like to do that or go on a walk or just talk, I will be willing to do so, as well," Kanaya says.

"Thank you, both of you guys. It's really nice to have good friends here to support me. I only really ever had Bec before, so this is certainly a bit better. I'll probably need a lot of company for awhile, though, at least while everything calms down. I don't really want to be by myself."

"Well, consider it my duty now to make sure that a Miss Jade Harley is not without a friend unless instructed otherwise," you grin, placing a hand over your heart.

"I would like that a lot, Rose. Thanks for being my best friend," she says, drawing you into a warm embrace. You place your arms lightly around her, returning the gesture.

"And thank you for being my best friend, Jade. I can't imagine a world without Jade Harley in it. It'd be pretty damn bleak."

Oh, and how right you could be.

 

**John: Punch Dave in the side repeatedly.**

 

"C'mon, man! It's been a week, the sun is shining, the rain is gone, and WE. ARE. READY. TO. PLAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!" you roar, beating your chest like Tarzan. He makes no attempt at stirring awake so you reach over the side of his bunk and jab him swiftly in the side, eliciting a response from him almost immediately.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, EGBERT?!" Dave shouts, sitting up to face you, his red eyes flaring with pure indignation. You haven't really ever gotten to see his eyes before, but you suddenly have the urge to reach over and push his shades back on his face because he is scaring the pants off of you right now.

"Look, man," you rest your head on top of the wooden bar guarding him from falling off the bed, "I'm not gonna let you sit here and wallow in self-pity all week. I'm tired of bringing you food, and now that the sun is out, it's time to play flag football. You promised!" He groans as he shifts around in his bed, moving around the blankets in order to find his shades. Once he's located them, he puts them on and then crawls to the end of the bed, swinging his legs off the side in order to descend to ground level. You do the same, jumping off from the side of the bunks and landing on your feet with a _thud_.

"Okay, you can go now. I'll meet you over at the field," he insists. You shake your head.

"No can do, Dave. I'm gonna wait here for you in case you decide that you wanna bail. I am not about to let you sit here for days straight. Get a little sunshine! Some fresh air! The world is your oyster," you grin.

"I'm allergic to shellfish," he grunts, shifting around to find some decent clothes. "Got any shorts that I can borrow? I don't really ever wear them and you seem to be particularly fond of them." You pick up a black pair from underneath the bed and toss them at him, hitting him square in the face.

"There you go, doofus. Now go take a shower! I know we're about to get all sweaty and whatnot again, but you haven't bathed in days and it's gross. You're starting to collect the room's already pungent odor!" He peels the shorts off his face and draws his lips thin, obviously unamused by your bashful energy.

"I'm starting to feel allergic to you, too," he remarks. You shrug your shoulders.

"I'm doing it for your own good, man. Now go! Scoot! Vamonos!" He stalks away into the bathroom begrudgingly, abandoning you in order to freshen up.

You've worried a lot about him lately, but you were trying your absolute best to try and help him. You know you're not the perfect candidate for consoling people, especially someone who's as stubborn about their feelings as he is, but you were at least going to try and get him back on his feet again. You felt like you were transforming him into something _better_ , something _faster_ , something _stronger_. By the time you were through with him, he was going to become . . . THE BIONIC MAN!!! . . . Or something much, less drastic to that effect.

Not too long after Dave reappears, drying off his hair with a towel while decked out in a plain, white cotton t-shirt matched with the black gym shorts you tossed him. He throws the towel onto the top of the bed and then pulls on a pair of shoes, his red converses. You want to explain to him that those kind of shoes are not really suited for exercise, but you leave it alone. You've gotten him to tag along with you, so you really shouldn't push the nitty gritty. You slap him on the back, pulling him alongside you as you usher him out of the cabin.

"C'mon, buddy, they're waiting for us. We're going to make our team proud," you pretend to sniffle as if crying, wiping a fake tear away from your cheek. He pushes you away from him.

"Quit being a doofus." You push him in retaliation, causing him to tumble over to the side.

"You quit being a stick in the mud!" He shoves you back, and the two of you break out into a struggle, your hand pushing his face away while he does the same.

"Oh, cut that out, you two! We've got practice and I'm certainly not going to sit around like you two idiots and get our asses handed to us on a silver fucking platter!" Vriska interrupts, dispelling the friendly fight between you and Dave. It scared you sometimes how competitive she could get, but you still liked her regardless.

"Yes ma'am," you and Dave echo, following behind her as she strides to the field.

When you get there, two different colored flags are being handed out, mustard yellow and ketchup red. Someone hands you a yellow one, and Dave a red one.

"Sorry, bud. You're gonna have to face me and my flaming fists o' fury!" you grin, raising your fists as you jump around, simulating the sort of initiation of a fight you might see in a video game.

"Oh, you have me quaking in my shoes, John. I am a teenage boy on the brink of a bladder core meltdown," he says unenthusiastically. Off in the distance you hear two familiar voices, one of which you're certain Dave would not want to spot the owner of. You quickly formulate a plan in your mind in order to distract him.

"Dave, why don't you go meet up with your teammates over there?" you gesture to the far end of the field, which is out of sight.

"Sure, what do I have to lose?" He shoves his hands into his pockets and disappears off into the distance where the red part of the scrimage team resides. You turn to catch up with Jade and Rose, who are mid conversation.

"--And I just don't know if I want to anymore. I feel so stupid, but I didn't break up with him because I just magically stopped being in love with him. It's terrible because I still do love him and it's hard to look at someone you still love and not want to go up to them and hug their stupid face or kiss them or whatever. It's all just stupid, really," Jade rants.

"I know it's hard, but you'll get through it. Eventually things will cool down and it will be like nothing ever happened in the first place," Rose tries to reassure her. You pick this as a good moment to jump in.

"Hey, Ladies!" you break them apart, allowing yourself to be in the middle. They come to a halt.

"Oh, hello, John," Rose greets you formally. That was the only way she seemed to be able to talk to you, in short, formal greetings that lasted anywhere from ten seconds to three minutes. You weren't sure what was up with her, but you weren't going to dive into Rose's business nose-first. You wanted to be considerate.

"Hey, John," Jade mutters, giving you a half-attempt at a wave. Your brain then formulates a brilliant idea, something that might make everything between the four of you better again, at least you hope it will.

"Well, I have a proposition for you. I know things have been sort of weird between the four of us, but I'd like to think that you might be entertained by the thought of Dave Strider and I pitted against each other in the ultimate battle of flag football!" you exclaim.

"Actually, that is intriguing. I've yet to see Dave play a single sport in my life, and I'll like it even better when he beats the shit out of you," Rose speculates, then glances over at Jade, "That is, of course, if you don't mind? I don't want to make you feel like you have to go. I'm perfectly content with continuing our walk."

" . . . No, it's okay, Rose. I'll be fine." Jade's mouth twists into what you suppose is supposed to be a reassuring smile, one that fails miserably to fit under that category.

"Excellent!" you cheer, lifting your arms in the air before letting them drop to your side. "I'll see you later, then!"

You depart in order to go see the yellow team, your team. Everyone is split off into their own little social circles, chatting away while they wait for further instructions. You scan the group in order to find your girlfriend, but she makes herself known when she calls attention with a sharp, shrill whistle.

"Alright, guys, it's time to split you losers up into positions! Ethan, you'll be my center and Equius will be the quarterback. Think you two can handle that?"

"Yes, ma'am," they both echo in response.

"Okay, for the rest of you baby weenies, I want TZ, John, and Tavros on defense and Carlos and I will be the rest of offense. Everyone got it?" Everyone nods their heads in unison.

Vriska then meets up in the middle with the Red team's captain, a short, spunky sort of girl with choppy hair cut into a bob, matched with a blue cat-ear hat. Her name's Nepeta, and you don't talk to her often (or at all), but you know she's Equius's best friend. Her demeanor proves to juxtapose her cutesy appearance, whereas she dons a look of ferocity and willingness to slit your throat and maul you to death at a moment's notice like a jungle cat. You watch as Aradia steps up to the middle, flipping what appears to be a coin as the two call it. Vriska fists pumps after and you know your team is starting. She bounds back to the group not long after, calling everyone to a huddle, everyone wrapping tightly together.

"I want you guys to give it your all, okay? We're gonna crush these losers like they're grapes from a vineyard, ready to be made into very shitty wine. No one will back down. Now let's put our hands in the middle and send off. I don't really like yellow, so let's call our team 'Gold'. So on three, 'Gold team rules'. Ready?" Your teammates and yourself place hands on top of each other in the middle, pressing down as you count off.

"3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . GOLD TEAM RULES!!!"

Aradia hands Ethan the ball as all of you get into your respective offensive and defensive positions. You notice that Dave is the quarterback for Nepeta's team. Aradia blows her whistle, signaling the start of the match.

Ethan passes the ball underneath his legs to Equius and Equius takes off down the field, all two hundred pounds of pure muscle of him being forced downward. Most of the other team is reluctant to go after him, but Nepeta braves him, snatching his flag almost immediately. You recognize then that she's the only thing in the way of Equius advancing, and place that in the back of your mind.

The play resets, only this time the opposing team takes start. Nepeta is center and she takes the ball, getting into position to pass it to Dave. Aradia blows her whistle and Nepeta hands it to Dave, who then takes off down the field lightning fast, dodging every attempt to grab him as he flashes past. A grin spreads across his face as he continues running, but makes the mistake of keeping his attention on the people behind him that he passes. At the last minute he turns, smacking his body weight straight up against Equius, falling to the ground. His screeching pain causes everyone to flood around him, checking to see if he's okay. You push through the mass of the crowd to get to him, crouching down beside him to see what's up.

"You okay, man?" you ask him.

"I think I broke my fucking arm!" he roars, nursing the injured limb. Everyone turns to look at Equius, who is absolutely blue in the face.

"I am _so sorry_ ," he bellows in his natural deep-tone, sincere as ever as sweat drips profusely down his forehead.

"Move out of the way," Jade's voice is heard as she pushes through everyone to get to Dave. She crouches down next to him, touching his arm lightly as she keeps a straight face.

"Where's the pain?" It doesn't even register in Dave's mind that Jade is there, the lingering pain adherent to his left arm.

"Right in the forearm," he mutters, his breath shallow as he tries his best to move his limb towards her. She studies it for a moment, then calls out,

"Okay, I'm gonna need someone to move him to the Rec and set him down on one of the couches! Someone else can help me gather supplies so that I can fix him up!"

Several people rush to Dave's side to carry him off while Tavros follows Jade to the supply shed. You stand awkwardly amongst the remaining people who are chatting quietly amongst themselves.

"Well, that was short. Who knew Dave was a weak little baby?" Terezi asks.

"He's not," Rose interjects, her face unamused, "He doesn't normally play sports, either, and he's not been on the fairing side as of late. Certain _people_ ," she turns toward you, glaring, "Have been pushing him into things he doesn't want to do." You cross your arms, mouth twisting to the side.

"It was just a freak situation, is all. He's just been having rotten luck."

"There's no such thing as 'rotten luck', John. It's a matter of principality and the absolute stupidity that seems to have taken residence in your mental compartment," she sneers, tapping her head.

"What's gotten into you, Rose? You don't ever want to talk to me anymore and all you ever do is try and pick arguments with me. What'd I do?" She groans, pressing her index finger and her thumb to the bridge of her nose.

"Just forget about it, John. Why don't you just go catch up with Dave and be the best friend in the world to him that you claim to be?"

"Fine, I will!" you shout, turning on your heel.

You make the executive decision of ditching Rose and Terezi to meet up at the Rec where Dave is. As you enter, the mass of people has dispersed, save for Equius, Aradia, and Jade. Jade is busy placing Dave's arm into a homemade sling, securing it to the best of her ability as Equius and Aradia watch carefully. When she's finished she hands Aradia some pills and mutters something along the lines of, "He needs to take one every six hours", and then breezes by you, walking out of the Rec. You spin to go after her, catching her by the arm once you're back outside.

"Wait, Jade." She stops and turns to look at you, her face placid and unmoving.

"What do you want, John? I'm tired." Then, an awful, terrible, _horrible_ thought emerges in your brain and you let the word vomit spill out of your mouth like the absolute idiot you are.

"So, Dave's starting to participate in activities again, and I think he's getting better. Do you think you want to give him a second chance?" Her brow furrows and she analyzes the comment in her brain, then her expression quickly contorts into absolute, pure, unadulterated rage.

"THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT? A FUCKING SECOND CHANCE?!" You instantly become aware of your implications, placing your hands up in surrender.

"Wait, I didn't mean that, Ja--" you begin, but you're stopped when you feel her curled fist make contact with your face, knocking the ever-living daylights out of you as you drop stone-cold to the ground.

~.~.~

"Ughhh, whas happen?" you mutter as you come back to consciousness, rubbing your head. You suddenly feel immense pain on your cheek as you reach up to rub it, a huge-ass contusion formed.

"Don't touch it! We put stuff on it that might help, so I'd leave it alone," Aradia advises, and you realize your back in the Rec, propped up on a faded yellow armchair right across from Dave's spot on the couch.

"Why the hell would Jade punch you?!" Dave questions you, and the memory flashes back into your mind.

" . . . I might've told her you were doing fine and that she should give you a second chance . . . " you confess to him. Even though your left eye is mostly closed, you're able to see the fury rise to Dave's face.

"What the actual fuck, Egbert?!" he shouts.

"I'm sorry! I thought I was trying to help, but I--" you begin, but he stops you.

"How the _fuck_ was that helping? How in your goddamn mind did that seem like a thing that would help me out?" You stare at him blankly, swallowing hard from the righteous fury that seems to be trailing off his skin. "You know what, John? Just stop helping me. All you've done so far is get me injured and mess up my relationship with Jade even further than before. You think you get to sit around and play honey moon with your girlfriend for months and then show back up in our lives like nothing happened? You're a shitty person, and I just don't even fucking care what you do anymore. Just leave me out of it." He rises from the couch then, grabbing the bottle of pills off the cushion and storming off towards the cabin, flashing his middle finger at you before leaving you alone with Aradia and Equius who are shuffling awkwardly off to the side.

"Go ahead and go, guys. I'm sorry you had to witness that," you mutter quietly gesturing towards the door. They acquiesce, deserting you in the emptiness of the Rec.

Dave was right about you not being there for any of them. You should've been able to be there for him when he needed you. You should've been there for Jade in order to console her instead of causing her more anguish.

You should've been a better friend.

Your name is John Egbert, and you are literally the shittiest person to ever exist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so this is where it gets tricky. I've got a lot of plot twists and turns to get through so just bear with it, okay? And, if I need to hint at it to make you feel better, the top two ships listed are going to be endgame ships, so if you were worried, don't be. Anyway, Happy New Year and I'll get another chapter out in a couple of days, and I'll do that for the next few chapters likewise. Please keep reading, and kudos are always welcome! :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Rose: Therapy time.**

 

"Rose Lalonde. This is therapy session number forty, the date is--"

"Rose, could you cut that shit off?" You turn to face Dave, ceasing the tape recorder from recording.

"Dave, I'd like to keep this on so that I can record progress. Cutting it off is not an option." Dave groans as he leans his head back on the arm rest of the antique couch of the library.

"Where the fuck did you even get a tape recorder from? Those things are like, ancient."

"They're still relevant, practical tools. I found one lying around and asked Aradia if I could use it." He sits upright on the couch then, dropping his feet to the ground, folding his arms across his chest. You slyly press the record button again, hoping that Dave doesn't notice.

"Okay then, can you put your ultra-nerdy and fucking annoying tape recorder away? I don't need you fucking documenting how shitty of a life I have. I already live it enough already to know."

"It's here because it'll help me try to figure out how I can help you. And, in the case that you do start talking, I'll be able to have something to go off of." He leans forward, arching his back as he rests his elbows on his thighs. He's still wearing a brace on his left arm.

"Well, you're in luck today! I ain't tellin' you _shit_ ," he growls.

"Hmm, poor grammar. Perhaps a coping mechanism? Dumbing himself down?" you talk into the recorder.

"Shut up!" he yells, and you raise your eyebrows.

"Are you okay, Dave?" He shuts up immediately, reverting back to his normal, quiet self. You breathe, speaking into the recorder.

"Dave has decided to continue his ridiculous bout of silence he always goes through during these sessions. If he keeps it up, he'll reach lucky number fifty." No response. "It's as if he's going through late teenage rebellion, as if I am his mother and--"

"You are _not_ mom," he interrupts, lowering his voice.

"Yes, and you're not talking to me otherwise, so unless you have something useful to say, stay quiet," you instruct.

"You want me to fucking talk? I want you to stop acting like you're my fucking mom all the time because frankly it's annoying as shit and you could never be her!" You shrug, not allowing the comment to get to you.

"Alright, I'll give you that. I'll never be a raging alcoholic who seems to not give a shit about her children. I know what you're doing, Dave, and you're not going to get a rise out of me so that you can leave. I'm here to help you, and you only have to stay an hour every weekday. You know, the quicker you talk about whatever is bothering you the quicker we can cease these sessions."

"I don't _want_ to talk," he enunciates effortlessly.

"Fine. Don't talk, keep coming to these sessions, keep suffering. I absolutely adore speaking to a pissy eighteen year-old on a daily basis." He slumps back into his silent state, ignoring you again. You decide to turn back to questions that you think might get him to talk.

"So, can you tell me how you've been doing?" Silence. "How about your nightmares?" Nothing. "How about your friendship with John? You seem to not be talking to him."

"How about _your_ friendship with John? You aren't exactly the Chatty Cathy you used to be around him. What's gotten into your tailpipe?" You ignore him.

"I'll ask again, how is your friendship with John?"

"I'm not friends with John," he answers, impassive.

"Oh? I thought you were best friends."

"I don't have friends."

"Not even the boys in your cabin?" He shakes his head.

"Nope."

"Isn't that a little depressing?" He leans back on the couch, sprawling out across the entirity of it.

"Oh no, I am not answering your cognitive bullshit."

"This isn't cognitive, this is behavioral. I ask for how you're feeling. I can't help you find goals or strategies to deal with whatever you have going on until you unravel to me." You contemplate pressing further to try and get him to talk, but you refrain. You've gotten a slight amount more than the usual you get from him, and, at the moment, that's progress.

"Okay, you're free to go," you relieve him. He sits straight up again.

"Really?" You nod your head. "Oh thank god," he exhales, rising up from the couch and exiting the library as quickly as possible. You sigh, resting your head atop your hand.

"Oh, Dave, if only you would let me help you."

 

**Dave: Drink and be merry.**

 

"Give me some of that shit, man. I had another session with Rose today," you thrust your hand out towards Gamzee while you play poker with him, Sollux, Karkat, Terezi, and Tavros.

"Sure thing, brother," he grins, handing over the bottle of whiskey. You take a big swig of it, the liquid crawling down and warming the back of your throat instantly.

"Someone's had it rough," Sollux comments, throwing his chips into the pot.

"Nah, it's just been a bumpy road. S'all good," you tell him, mimicking him by throwing your chips in.

"Alright, can we just shut the fuck up about Strider's life and play here?" Karkat growls.

"I'm with Shouty McGrowls-A-Lot here. Can we please get on with it?" Terezi agrees.

"Aye," you agree, backing another sip of the amber liquid. You hear the door push open as someone stumbles in from the darkness, a look of dismay upon their face. You say nothing to him, duly noting that you will continue ignoring him for the rest of your life. He passes by, hands in his pockets as he makes his way to his solo-bunk. He pauses as he walks by, turning to ask,

"Do you really think it's a good idea to be drinking that?" You narrow your eyes, scowl drawn upon your face.

"Shut the fuck up, Egbert." His lips draw thin as he nods in acknowledgement, returning to his original task of going to his bed. You shift your attention back to the table, everyone remaining quiet as ever."Well? Are we gonna play or what?" you ask. They begin shifting around again, conversation cropping up as if nothing ever happened. Solluxes places his cards on the table, a shit-eating grin spread across his mug.

"So, any of you fuckers able to top pocket aces?"

 

~~~

 

"Yo, Gamzee my man," you slur your speech, "Where'd you get this shit?" The rest of the table is passed out from intense alcohol consumption.

"We hide it in the side of the cabin behind some loose boards."

"Wha side?" He gestures to the left of the cabin.

"Right over here. Y'all better enjoy," he tells you, patting you on the back as he rises from the table. "Take as much as you need." After he departs you rise from the table, stumbling as you do. Your coordination is not exactly at your best right now, but you manage, ambling your way out to the side of the cabin.

You find the boards easily, and sure enough, there's enough alcohol down here to almost fill an entire kiddie pool (so a shit ton.) You pick your poison, and although it's probably the shittiest of all whiskeys, you frankly don't give a shit. Jack Daniels it is.

You undo the top of it as you ascend the stairs, a surely daunting task, when you turn to notice the girl's cabin. Your brain is running around with an array of jumbled thoughts consisting of _alcohol alcohol alcohol no more pain_ , and then you think of something that makes you feel good inside, so you go to make a little visitation.

"JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDEEEEEEE," you howl. "JAAAAAAAAAAAAADEEEEEE, COME OUT! I JUS' WANNA DO SOME TALKIN'!!! JAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDEEEEEE!!" You graced with a figure appearing from the door not long after, but not the person you were expecting. Rose is standing on the porch in a lavender robe and black pajama pants, arms crossed as she looks upon you sternly.

"Dave, are you _drunk_?!" she demands.

"Naaaaaahh," you answer her back, smirking as you take another sip of alcohol. She stares at you coldly with a disapproving gaze, her lips thinned into a tight line.

"You are drunk, oh my god," she mutters to herself. She descends the stairs to come meet you, reaching for the bottle in your hand.

"Give me that, Dave. You're being ridiculous." You move it away from her, guarding it.

"No! I'm nah gunna give it up fer shit. I'm eighteen n' I can do wha I want," you drawl. She reaches up to smack you on the cheek hard, a red hand print etching its way upon your face.

"Quit rationalizing and give me the damn alcohol, Dave!" your hand drops as you nurse your cheek, and all the while she swipes the bottle from you, tipping it over as its contents pour out onto the ground.

"Wha ya doin' tha for?" you whimper.

"Enough of this. You're not going to drink your problems away. This is why you need therapy! You can't keep bottling up everything inside, waiting for it to explode like some molotov cocktail! You're better than this, Dave. I know you are," she says, her expression changing from disappointment to concern.

" . . . I'm nah gonna do that," you tell her, eyebrows furled. She sighs, pointing to the boys cabin.

"Go to bed. We'll talk about it in the morning." You nod and turn to go back towards the cabin as she disappears into her own. You felt bad about the whole thing, and even worse now that you didn't have your alcohol to help you. You clamber up the steps slowly, but pause when something alerts your brain.

You rush the stairs and deposit all the contents of your stomach into the bush, vomiting profusely. What a miracle alcohol really is.

 

**John: Deepest of all sighs.**

 

You lean your cheek into your hand as you push around the rice on your plate. You were relatively bored with your life, as of late, and you weren't really in the mood for anything. It wasn't that you weren't interested, you were just . . . a little lacking in the good friend department. You have fun hanging out with Vriska and her friends, it's just that you miss yours as well, which would be a problem easily solved if a.) Jade didn't already hate you, b.) Rose didn't already hate you, and c.) Dave didn't already hate you. Ah, so they all hated you, basically. You couldn't argue with that. You had been a shitty friend, and for some reason you just had this tendency to fuck up all the good things you had in your life.

It's not like you haven't tried to apologize, either. Well, not with Dave, at least. When he decided to wage a personal vendetta on you, you had to move to your own bunk further away from him. He didn't want to be in the vicinity of you, and you respected his decision. You've tried for a good long while to get him to at least forgive you, but he won't listen to you at all. He made it perfectly clear that he was done being your friend, and would be done with it for as long as you kept on breathing. It was harsh, to say the least, but you couldn't really blame him.

With Jade you had made an effort to give space to, not wanting to hurt her any further. You weren't doing her any favors by talking to her, and you certainly didn't want your brain to malfunction and utter something she would take offense to. Your filter wasn't exactly the best, and you had made a mental note to work on that.

Finally, Rose.

Ah yes, Rose.

Rose, for some reason that you can't understand but can attribute to your useless attempt at helping Jade and fixing everything, had refused to talk to you, as well. You weren't really sure what you had done to deserve a line of silence from her, but you had certainly done something, and that seemed good enough for her to cease any further conversation in the future with you.

"I need to talk to you." A voice enters your conscience, and for a split second you're starting to think your brain is playing tricks on you. You look up and sure enough, none other than Rose Lalonde is seated in front of you. You scramble for something to say, but you can't find any words at all.

"John," she repeats.

"Rose," you echo her, but then add, "We haven't talked in a while." She exhales a sigh of exhaustion.

"Yes, I realize that, but--" Suddenly, you're filled with irritation. She doesn't even want to consider your feelings?

"No," you state plainly, cutting her off. "I want to talk about this. I don't care what the other shit is, because I can almost guarantee that it's about either Dave or Jade, and after what I heard has been going on, I'll bet anything it's about Dave. I need to address my problem with you first before you decide you want to talk again, because I just really want to know what your deal is." She's stiff for a moment, her eyes wide from the shock of you speaking up for once in your life, calculating whether or not to respond to you or just plain reach over and smack you. She settles on the first.

" . . . You're right. We do need to talk about that. What is it you'd like to ask?"

"Well, first of all, why have you not talked to me? I mean, I know why you aren't now, but before it was just . . . unprecedented," you search for the word. "I just wanna know what I did to make you upset or hurt you, or--"

"Do you remember the last time we actually talked?" You shake your head.

"I can't think of it at the moment--"

"The library," she cuts you off again. "The day at the library, Dave and Jade's six month anniversary. That day." You try to think about what went on that day and you remember being in the library with her, and her leaving for kitchen duty, and having your first date with Vriska, but nothing comes to mind.

"I still can't think of what might've happened," you tell her. She lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Okay, look, I'll tell you after I address the problem with Dave, okay? I just really need to talk about him to someone who knows him well and isn't Jade, and you're the best candidate I've got." You stare into her alluring violet eyes, ones that even Bette Davis would be envious of. She looks exhausted and desperate, begging you to throw her a line.

"Alright," you agree, letting her have the floor.

"I need you to watch him. I know the two of you aren't on the best of terms, and I wouldn't make you do otherwise if it weren't something I can handle. I just need you to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid while I figure out how to open him up. He's refused to talk to me anymore, not even utter a word, and, as you already know he's been having some alcohol issues," she explains. "Which reminds me, do you know where this alcohol has been coming from?"

"I think it's from somewhere in our cabin. I can't say exactly where, but I know it's stashed somewhere secret."

"Good, now I can alert Aradia to search for it and get rid of it. How they got so much, I have no idea. Anyway, I want you to try and keep him from getting hurt, just for a day or two. I want to help him but I have no idea how, and I think I can think of something, but I have to spend a good majority of my time making sure he's okay. I just want him to feel okay again," her face drops. You nod your head in understanding.

"Got it." Her face becomes relieved with your ability to comply, as if a burdensome weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Thank you, John. Sincerely." She rises from the table, preparing to leave until you stop her.

"Wait, what was it you were going to tell me?"

"Oh, that," she says nonchalantly, "It's really petty, and I'm sorry for allowing it to affect how I treated you. It was wrong of me, especially when you've only been as kind as you can be. What I'm saying is, I didn't have kitchen duty that night." With that, she departs, leaving you alone with your bowl of bland rice. You ponder her hint exactly, thinking of what she's referring to. You try to get a clearer rundown of that night in your head, and the awkward exchange between you and her as she fled for the dining hall, and . . .

No way.

Were you really that dense?

Of course you were. Of course.

You attempt to finish up your plate full of rice as quickly as possible, hoping that will give you the energy to be able to deal with Dave. You figure he can't be nearly as upset with you as usual with alcohol running through his veins, so at least he'll be a little susceptible to having you around. You hope.

You place the empty plate and tray in the dish bin on the way out and make your way to the lake. You stop for a moment before going, considering something. You had amends to make with someone else before you meet up with Dave again, and you felt like perhaps it was a good moment to finally take the time to talk to her. You take a detour towards the girls' cabin, rapping your knuckles on the wooden door. It swings open, Nepeta having answered it.

"Who is it?" she asks, and you stare blankly at her.

"Uhhh, John? You know me, Nepeta."

"I know that, silly! I was just testing you. Who do you want?"

"Is Jade in there? I need to talk to her." She checks behind her, scanning the room for any sign of her.

"Nope, she's not in here. Did you try checking the garden? She's usually over there," Nepeta suggests.

"Okay, I guess I'll go do that. Thank you, Nep," you tell her, waving behind you as you jog over towards the garden. When you get there, sure enough Jade is there working in the soil alongside Kanaya.

"Hey, Jade," you greet her softly when you approach. She looks up, her face dirt stained, but she doesn't look angry at all. Her eyes just look solemn and sad.

"Oh, hello, John," she answers you. "What can I do for you?"

"Do you mind if we go somewhere to talk, briefly? I mean, if that's okay with you," you ask. She nods her head, removing the gardening gloves from her hands and placing them beside her on the ground. She gets up, walking over to where you're standing.

"We can go over there, if you'd like," she says, pointing over to a quiet little spot beside the Rec.

"Yeah, that's fine with me." The two of you walk over there in silence, only beginning conversation once you've made it to your destination.

"What was it you wanted?" You stick your hands into your pockets, kicking at the ground.

"I wanted to apologize for being a jerk. I know I haven't been the best friend or family member lately, and I wanted to make amends for that. You don't necessarily have to forgive me or anything, but I just wanted you to know that I still care about you and I don't like seeing you hurt," you explain. She stares at you for a moment, mulling over the words you said to her before a miniscule smile tugs at the corners of her mouth.

"It's okay. I never hated you, I just . . . it was really difficult, hearing that from someone you trusted. I know you were only trying to do what you thought was best, it just wasn't best. It's been hard for me, but having you come apologize to me is appreciated, very much so." She reaches her arms around you, pulling you into a warm hug before releasing you again. "Thank you, John."

"Anything for the best cousin in the world," you grin, ruffling her hair.

"Quit that!" she exclaims, swatting your hand away. The expression she puts on is a sad, childish pout, one that reminds you of your very own sister. Your heart aches a little, then, but you quickly put it aside. "So," she begins, sobering up immediately, "How's Dave been?" You should've known she'd ask about that. You frown, shrugging your shoulders.

"I'm not quite sure. He hasn't been talking to me for a while now. If you've heard anything going around this camp then you'll know about his drinking problem. Even Rose can't do anything about it at the moment, which is completely worrying when she can't do anything. You might want to talk to her about it." Jade grimaces, looking off to the side, her sad eyes returning again.

"Yeah, I'll have to do that. I just want him to be better," she sighs.

"You and me both, Jade."

"Well, I better get back to gardening. We're trying to get some flowers planted so they hit their season just right," Jade tells you. "Bye, John." You wave to her as she disappears, returning to her garden. You remember your original mission, heading towards the lake to meet your ex-best friend.

You knew he surely wasn't going to drink anywhere with people around, so he most likely went to his favorite spot. You find the path and head towards the water, which, as it comes into sight, is glistening in the warm sun. Dave is sitting at the end of the dock, a bottle next to him as he overlooks the water. You creep over towards him, trying to be as delicate about the situation as possible.

"I know you're there, Egderp," he says, and you freeze up. "Whatever it is you want, I'm not buying. You can go find some other sucker who gives a shit." He takes a swig from the bottle.

"I don't want anything, frankly. I just came here to talk. You come here often?" you gesture to the water.

"What, is this some sort of poor come on?" If you could, you would kick him.

"No, it's _not_ ," you state incredulously. "I just wanted to know if you always spend your time sitting here overlooking the water wistfully with a bottle of bourbon in hand."

"Not out of habit," he replies, picking up the bottle as he lifts it to his lips. You try to think of possible conversation topics, but you know it's almost useless to try anything. You then think that maybe you should be real with him, because at this point, what do you have to lose?

"Why are you doing this to yourself, man? Isn't Rose helping you?" Dave shakes his head.

"I don't need shit from her and I definitely don't need shit from you. What I want is to be left alone." You run your fingers through your hair, trying to decide what else to say.

"Have you talked to Jade lately?" You can almost feel his piercing glare from behind his shades.

"Does it look like I talked to her?"

"I don't know what goes on with your life. I mean, you are the one that cut me out."

"Can you stop talking to me?"

"No, I can't. Do you not wanna talk about Jade?" He turns away from you, facing back towards the lake silently. "You know, I could bring her out her and you could talk to her. You never know, it might be good for you."

"Why the hell would you do some stupid shit like that? Don't get Jade." You turn on your heel, slowly pressing forward towards the main part of the camp.

"Whoops, look what I'm doing! I'm going to get Jade." You hear him scramble to get up on the dock, cursing after what you assume is him knocking the bottle over.

"Don't do that," he strains his voice. You turn around to face him.

"Alright, I won't. As long as you agree to hang out with me again. I'm not saying you have to like me, or even participate in things with me, but for the next couple of days, I am going to be your buddy, never leaving your side." You stick out your hand. "Do we have a deal?" He stares at your hand a moment, contemplating whether or not this might be him selling his soul to the devil.

"Deal," he strikes a compromise with you, shaking your hand. You nod your head and hope to god that you can keep him under wraps long enough so that Rose can find a way to successfully get him back on his two feet. You honestly hope he can, because it's just plain sad seeing how awful and pathetic his days have been. You just want him to be Dave again, or at least a version of Dave that could smile once in a while without having to become inebriated first.

 

**Dave: Just breathe.**

 

"Dave, can you wait here a moment? I promise I'll be back, I just gotta run to the bathroom really quickly," John asks you. You nod your head in silent acknowledgement and he runs off toward the cabin in turn. You twirl the clear bottle in your hand around as you stare at the ground, daring it to have some sort of staring contest with you, but alas, it is only grass and grass is not an animated object (at least, with so little alcohol in your bloodstream right now.)

God, you were so lonely.

"Hey, Dave." You hear a soft, squeaky voice greet your ears, and you don't look up at first, for fear that you're only imagining it, that you're lost in some sort of reverie. You lose the war between head and heart soon after, lifting your head to find her standing where John was previously. She's not bright and peppy as she always is, but her demeanor is somewhat content, relaxed. Her moss eyes look upon you, not with pity or disappointment, but only sorrow and remorse.

"Hey, Jade," your voice emerges from your mouth, dry and hoarse. She points to the empty spot on the wooden steps next to you.

"Is anyone sitting there?" You shake your head. "Can I sit here?"

"Be my guest."

She plants herself down on the steps firmly, drawing her legs up to herself slightly. She looks out over the mess of the busy camp, kids scattered about laughing jubilantly as they enjoy the warm air. You make no attempt at conversation with her because you don't think you had anything wise or smart to say to her that wouldn't upset her off the bat. You didn't think you could ever hold a real conversation with her ever again and that soon enough, Jade Harley would just disappear from your life, never to return again. So you say nothing, because regardless of what you say or do, you weren't going to have her back. That was just the way things went.

"You know, I've been meaning to talk to you, I just never really had the courage to do it until just now," she confesses aloud. She waits for a response from you, but when it's clear that she's going to receive no such thing, she merely continues. "Whatever you think will happen, it's wrong."

"What do you mean?" you ask, puzzled by her vague statement.

"I mean that whatever you think is going to happen, won't happen. Whatever your mind is predicting, it's incorrect." She pauses a moment, as if thinking to herself, but resumes seconds later. "Rose told me about what happened to your brother and how you had to watch him get shot right in front of you."

"Did she?" you mutter, a small, breathy chuckle of amusement escaping your lips.

"I think that, in the past, you've had something that would preoccupy your mind, keep you busy from ever thinking about it. Your music was a way for you to vent, and then when the zombies came, running became your outlet. Surviving was your prime focus. When we got here, you didn't have your music anymore and the goal of surviving was swiped right away from you, a sense of security in it's place. I think that's why you've been having a hard time, that all of this is being piled upon you. You never really had a grasp on why you were so sad, and once your walls containing that pure emotion fell, you slowly spiraled into a chasm of your own design, and you had no way of getting out. What I'm trying to say is, Dave, _I understand_."

She finishes speaking, and you're left wordless. Not even Rose had ever been that in depth in her evaluation of your psyche, and now, well, Jade would put her to shame. Somehow she had worked herself into your mind and was able to find the most credible and accurate description for why your life was sucking so badly, and then put it into words that you could not fathom yourself. Jade Harley knew you, _knows_ you, and Jade Harley _understands_.

"I guess you don't really know how to respond to that, do you? I didn't think you would. It's a lot to handle." She draws a sympathetic smile upon her face, and you can almost feel those bright green eyes pierce a hole into your soul. "I just want you to know that we're not going to leave you, not Rose, not John, and especially not me. I'm not going to disappear on you, not on purpose at least, and I'm never going to stop being someone you can talk to. I know it's been hard and rocky between us for the past couple of months, and I don't think we're entirely ready to be good friends again, but the moment you think you're ready, you come find me and we'll talk ourselves to death with wide smiles spread upon our faces. That, Dave, is a guaranteed Jade Harley promise." She makes a sort of crossing motion across her heart with her index finger and then holds her hand to her chest. Your brain finally manages to find the words, and while they're few, they're all that truly need to be said, right now.

"Thanks, Jade." Suddenly she's leaning her head against yours, pulling you into a quick, tight embrace before releasing you. She digs into her pocket and finds something, pressing it into your hand, curling your fingers around it.

"It's the first bloom of the flowers we've been growing. I thought you might want it." She rises from the steps then, waving to you briefly before parting ways with a, "Goodbye, Dave," and a gentle kiss on your forehead. As soon as she's out of sight you set the bottle on the ground and take the parchment paper she placed in your hand, unfolding it to see what's inside.

A daffodil.

You wrap the flower back up and shove it into your pocket, glancing around for where John might be. When he makes no appearance, you pick up your bottle and rise from the steps, walking towards the only place where you know you'll find true solace.

 

**Rose: Visit the library.**

 

You were due for another visit to the library, what with your mind scrambling all over the place to find a way to be helpful with certain situations. Sometimes it was hard to be a sister and confidant, and you recognize that's what makes it so hard for him. You may be the person he talks to the most, but it was still hard to confess what your true feelings are to a family member. It's too close, too personal. For some strange reason, it's always more comforting to tell a complete stranger what your problems are than the people who care about you and are willing to listen.

You're extremely appreciative that John has done you a favor these past few days, keeping a watch over your brother. Although Dave didn't show it, you could tell that deep down, he was glad someone was there to watch him. He needed a friend, and John had never stopped being his friend. You could always count on John for that.

You ascend the steps of the library, wiping your shoes off on the mat outside before stepping inside, shutting the door behind you.

"Hey." You're surprised when you see Dave lying on the floor, a bottle of alcohol sitting next to him as he looks upward at the ceiling.

"What are you doing here?" you inquire of him.

"I'm sorry, but I needed to get away for a bit. I knew that this was your hour for the library, so I just slipped away from . . . _John_ and came here." You realize by his calm intonation that he's absolutely weak, as if he's finally hit rock bottom. Something about that makes you sort of glad, because he seems ready to at least talk to you instead of shutting you out like he has been doing. You decide to crawl down next to him on the carpet, mimicking his position and posture on the floor.

"So, are you--" you begin, but he cuts you off.

"Look, Rose, if you're gonna lecture me or something, I don't really have the time for it right now. I'm just really exhausted."

"I'm not," you tell him plainly. "I was going to ask if you were going to hand me the bottle." He looks over at you, brow raised.

"You want alcohol?" You nod your head, and he passes it over to you. You take a swig of the vodka, the clear liquid warm against your throat as it slides down.

"I basically told John that I was holding a petty vendetta against him because I was jealous. Honestly, I hate myself for that. I don't normally do that and it was way out of line for me," you confess.

"Poor kid has been through the shitter, too," Dave mutters.

"Yeah, but haven't all of us? I mean, we're all sitting on some form of depression and anxiety derived before and right out of this zombie-centered planet. This world is shitty and yet we keep on surviving."

"It sure is," Dave muses, as if letting this statement settle in his mind. "Fuck, I'm sure I'm making mom proud right about now."

"That's not true, Dave. I don't think mom would've wanted her own son to fall to her vices. She was a horribly depressed woman, and we come by it honestly. I think she would want you to try and get better, Dave."

"You're probably right," he agrees.

"Hey, honestly of all people I thought to follow mom's alcoholic footprints, I thought it would be me," you grin, nudging him with your elbow. He offers you a tiny smirk.

"I thought it would be both of us," he chuckles, but deadpans a moment later. "God, I'm so fucked up." You reach over and place a hand on his shoulder.

"You're not fucked up, Dave. You're just struggling, and once you accept help, then things will get better, I promise." He turns to you, and you know that behind his shades his eyes are pleading.

"You really think?"

"I know so, Dave. I'll invest my time in getting you back on your two feet for as long as it takes. That sound like a good offer to you?"

"Sounds great," he hums. He reaches over for the bottle, taking a swig of it before placing it upright back on the ground.

"Hey, Dave?"

"Hm?"

"First things first, we're going to put you through detox. I can't have you touch a drop again," you insist.

"Of course." He pushes the bottle back toward you and you move it out of the way. "Rose, I feel like shit." When he says this, you recognize it as his way of saying, _"I'm in immense pain."_ You think of something, and it's risky, but you ask it of him, regardless.

"Dave, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure. Whaddya want?" You hesitate for a moment before stating simply,

"Cry for me." It doesn't bother him that you ask this task of him, but you can tell he's thrown off by it.

"What?"

"I want you to cry. I know it sounds stupid, but you can't keep bottling these things up and shutting us all out. I care for you, John cares for you, and even Jade still cares immensely for your well being. Just let it out, it'll be good for you. I promise I won't tell anyone about it or use it as leverage in any of our fights in the future. I just need you to cry for me, Dave."

The room grows eerily silent, and the sound of kids playing outside is heard. As seconds tick by, you glance over at Dave, whose cheeks are streaming with salty tears. You reach over and grab his hand in yours, squeezing it tightly as a reassuring gesture.

After what seems like years of sitting around in silence, he glances over at you, face puffy and red.

"Rose?"

"Yeah, Dave?" you answer.

"I'm ready to talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this was trickier. I'm sorry if I'm not one hundred percent good with the drinking part or whatever, but I tried my best. Realize that in between each of the character sub parts of the chapter, there's a bit of time that passes between their points of view. Dave's drinking problem lasts about a month or more (? I can't remember, but still, that's long enough to matter, either way). I know things might seem like they are happening quickly, but that's just the way it goes. ((I am also very critical about myself with this so if it seems like I'm over worrying it's because that's the way I am, so sorry :( )) Anyway, I still love writing this regardless, and there's still a lot that is going to happen. There's going to be a sort of split in the story soon, and that is exactly three chapters away after this chapter. Shit's about to happen, let me just put it that way.  
> Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll continue reading and comments and kudos are always very nice :) Bye!


	15. Chapter 15

**Dave: Recover.**

 

"Okay, Rose Lalonde, therapy session number eighty-two. Dave Strider has . . . " pause for dramatic effect, "Officially been clean as of two months!" Rose jubilates, reaching over to hug you. You return the gesture happily, grinning as you embrace her.

"Thank you so much, Rose, for everything." She releases you and you notice her wipe a tear away from her eye.

"You know, I'm so proud of you, Dave. How does it feel to be doing so well?"

"Like the world isn't fucking working against me anymore. Like I can get up from my bed in the morning without any trouble most days. Like I actually give a shit about things again," you confess. She smiles warmly.

"Good, I'm glad. Of course, you're going to have to keep jogging in the morning--"

"No problem. I've got John running with me now. He sucks at it, of course, but I don't mind slowing down for him," you smirk.

"I'm glad. Oh, also you still have to take those vitamins, because they really help a lot. Have you been writing in that journal I gave you, still?"

"Yeah," you nod your head. "Actually, can I have another one? I've already filled up one entire journal. Oh, by the way, here's the old one." You grab the little red notebook from the floor and hand it to Rose.

"Okay, and you've gotten plenty of sleep?"

"A whole nine hours a day."

"Excellent. What are your plans for today?" You ponder the question a moment, assessing what it is you had scheduled for yourself.

"Um, I have that group support meeting at twelve today that Aradia set up for anyone who wants to come, then I'm going to go on a light jog with John, eat an early dinner with everyone, then we're going to play high stakes monopoly." She raises a brow.

"High stakes monopoly?"

"Yeah, it's like, whatever place the player comes in means that they get more/less duties for the month. Stuff like that."

"Alrighty then. Well, I'm glad you're progressing so much and that you're really enjoying yourself again. It's nice to see a smile plastered upon my brother's adorable face," she says, grabbing your jaw in a way that makes your lips purse and shaking it about. You slap her hand away.

"You're getting too comfortable with this 'reformed Dave' shit. I'm gonna need you to take it down a notch." She chuckles, placing a hand onto her stomach.

"I'm just trying to be an annoying sister."

"Well, you're doing a good job at it, I'll give you that," you tell her. "Which reminds me, there is one thing I forgot that I was going to do for you."

"Hm? What is it?" You waggle your finger in her face.

"Ah ah ah, not yet. You have to come with me."

"I'm not sure if I trust you, and I'm saying that as your sister. I've had one too many pranks pulled on me that will surely constitute you tasting the dirt you're buried in next time," Rose quips.

"No, this is for your own good. You've helped me and now I'm going to help you. Now come on, while the day is still young." You grab her by the arm and usher her out of the library, pulling her down the path that leads out of the camp.

"You're going to help me by throwing me out to the zombies and getting me killed?" You shake your head.

"Just shut up and keep walking, Lalonde." She does as you say and follows along with you, stopping at the gate so that you can undo the lock. You put in the code that Aradia told you and the lock clicks open, allowing you to move outside of the camp. You let Rose pass by in order for you to go through and lock the gate up again. As you reach out into the open past the brush of trees, you point to the shiny, dolled up car in front of you.

" . . . What is this? My late eighteenth birthday present?" she queries with mock surprise.

"No, I had Equius fix it up. He's actually pretty fucking baller when it comes to mechanical fixes. I'm gonna help you try to get over your uneasiness with cars. I know it's not really a big deal and we're not going to be moving around in any cars in the nearby future, but I just wanted to give you this one thing. I want to help you sort of in the way you've helped me." She studies the car with careful thought, deciding whether or not she'd like to go through with it.

" . . . I'll do it," she finally agrees, and you toss her the keys. She unlocks it and slides into the driver's seat, easing her breathing as she buckles up her seatbelt. You get into the passenger's seat likewise, strapping yourself in.

"It's okay, Rose. You'll be fine. Just breathe and we'll just sit here in silence. You don't even have to do anything today. Just get acquainted with the car."

You admit that from the outside this might seem silly, but you wanted to be there for Rose like she was for you. You knew that this was only a small thing, but the discomfort she experienced was something that she should work her way out of.

"I think I'm going to start the car now," she states slowly a moment later, putting the key into the ignition.

"Are you sure you're ready for that?" She gives you a sideways glance before grinning, upbeat.

"We're Strider-Lalondes. We're prepared for anything that get's thrown our way. We're survivors." She turns the key and the engine starts up, the dashboard lighting up with a multitude of colors. She settles her foot on the brake pad as she shifts the automatic shift into drive.

"When you're ready, Rose, all I want you to do is drive to the end of the road there and back. That sound good to you?"

She nods as she grips the steeringwheel tightly, her eyes remaining glued ahead of her. She eases her foot off the pedal and the car begins to inch forward slowly by itself. Allowing it to continue to roll down the road, she tries her best to muster up some sort of courage to push the gas pedal lightly. When she does, you go no faster than fifteen miles per hour, and it's a little jerky as she hesitates keeping her foot on the gas, but soon enough you've reached the end of the road.

"Wow, awesome job, Rose!" you congratulate her, patting her on the back.

"Thank you, Dave," she acknowledges, emitting paced, shallow breaths in order to keep herself calm.

"Do you want me to drive it back for you?" you ask her. She nods her head, putting the car into park, unbuckling her seatbelt and removing herself from the car. You get out of the passenger's side and rotate positions with her, easing into the driver's seat. As she straps herself in, you grab her by the shoulder and noogie her.

"Look at my sis go, she's such a trooper!" She pushes your face away indignantly, unamusement apparent upon her face.

"Just shut up and drive, Rihanna."

 

**Jade Harley: Hum happily whilst fertilizing your garden.**

 

You already are! You couldn't explain it, but you woke up this morning feeling exuberant and on top of the world, and with dirt smudged across your face as you bask in the crisp, afternoon sun, you were feeling absolutely euphoric. The world woke you up today and told you that you were going to have a fantastic day, and you couldn't help but agree more. Your plants sure might disagree a bit due to being a little dehydrated and whatnot, but you could tell that even they didn't mind the hot sun beating down on their little leaves. All seemed harmonious and well in the world.

You take the old garden pot that you found sitting in one of the window sills and fill it with a bit of dirt before transplanting some of the freshly grown dasies into it, then fill it almost to the top with the soil after it's in the pot. You planned to give it to perhaps Rose or John to put by their bedside or a tiny crook that was missing a sort of spark to light it up. You lean in and sniff the daisy, inhaling it's wonderful floral scent. You just adore flowers!

You decide to dismiss yourself for a break when your stomach rumbles, announcing to you that it is indeed time for lunch. You remove the soiled gloves from your hands and place them on the ground next to the dirt, planning to return after your meal. You decide to bring the flower pot along in the case that you do see Rose or John, the flowers ready to be gifted and sent to a new home. Against your better judgement you don't wash up prior, and you know that isn't the greatest idea ever, but you've done it numerous times before after working hard in your garden. A little dirt never hurt anyone.

You climb the steps up to the double doors of the cafeteria, pushing through them and turning to the right to join the line so you can receive your meal. You grab a blue tray and clean plate, sliding it on down the metal food carts. One of the kids working the line takes your plate from you and fills it up, handing it back once he's done. It appears as though today's meal is seasoned chickpeas, peanut butter crackers, and a juicebox. It is one of your fancier meals, by far. You turn and face the busy cafeteria, searching for Rose, or John, or Kanaya, or really any of your friends. You figure they must have already had their lunch or that they must be busy doing something important. You shrug your shoulders and find a nice, open table to sit at, enjoying some time alone. Unwrapping the straw from its wrapper you stab it into the designated hole in your juice box and take a sip of delicious apple juice.

"Holy shit, you actually did that?!"

You hear a voice emerge from one of the more crowded tables and spot Dave amongst Terezi and Karkat and others, having a grand old time. You're taken aback by how much brighter and happier he seems to be, enjoying the company of others instead of his old isolated personality. It seems crazy to think that this is the Dave you had come to know, because he seems, well . . . _changed_. Not changed in a bad way, but changed in an absolutely fantastic sort of way. You've never seen Dave smile so much in the time that you've known him, and it warms your heart that he is finally doing well again.

You realize that you've been staring at him awhile when he catches you. For a second you think you're going to turn beet red and flee out of the cafeteria for being an awful doof, but instead he just smiles and waves. You grin back at him and wave, and he returns his attention back to his group. Your platter of chickpeas gains your attention once again and you concentrate on taking your spoon and scooping up a mouthful of them.

"Gee, Harley, you're concentrating on those chickpeas awfully hard. Are you trying to get me out of your mind? I know it's hard, you don't have to lie to me."

You glance upward and find none other than Dave Strider seated in front of you, beaming with a smile that would put many celebrity hunks to shame. You're at a loss of words for a second, because wow, has it been a long time since you've talked. Yet here he was, talking to you like there was no seperation of time between the conversations held amongst the two of you.

"Harley?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry," you apologize, your mind being brought back to planet Earth. "It's good to see you, Dave."

"Likewise," he notes, nodding his head.

"You look good." You pray that what you said doesn't sound too personal or stupid.

"Well, if I look good then you look the best." You feel heat rise to your cheeks, because damnit, did Dave always have a way with words. "Oh, shit, that sounded fucking cheesy. Forget I said that," he adds. You giggle.

"It's okay. I like cheesy," you tell him, but then stop yourself when you realize you're flirting with him out of habit. You were not about to do that.

"You must have really shitty taste, then." You shrug nonchalantly, lips pressed into a tight line, refraining a continous smile.

"The shittiest!" He laughs at that, a full bellow of laughter errupting from his stomach. It weirds you out but at the same time intrigues you how open he's being. Rose must've worked miracles, because he seemed like he was doing much, much better.

"So, are those for someone special?" Dave points to the flowerpot beside you.

"Well, no one in particular, really. I was gonna ask John or Rose if they wanted it, but they're not here," you start to explain, but you add, "Do you want it?"

"Hmm, I dunno. Can I trust you to give me a plant that isn't going to give me a rash or somehow kill me?"

"You're right, you probably shouldn't trust me. I'm an evil plant scientist, and I've been breeding these plants to take over the entire camp and eat everyone up. You were going to be my guinea pig."

"God, now getting eaten by zombies sounds a shit ton better." A peal of laughter is breaks out between you two and you feel so normal again, so in sync with each other. It felt nice to have Dave feel great again, for both his sake and yours. You didn't think you could stand to be in a world where Dave Strider would be unhappy for the rest of his days.

"Here, just take it," you tell him, pushing the potted plant towards him. "But all joking aside, how are you doing, Dave? I mean, I hate to break the mood, but I just--"

"Jade, don't worry about it. I'm feeling fucking peachy, that's for sure. Of course, that isn't one hundred percent or anything, but it's much better than it was before. I'm two months clean, as of today," he announces to you.

"You are? That's wonderful, Dave!" you exclaim. "I'm so happy for you, truly and sincerely. If you're fucking peachy, than so am I." He smirks that sly smirk that he saves only for special occasions, letting his sunglasses slide down the bridge of his nose so that you can see him wink at you. He pushes them back up on his face afterward, returning to the conversation.

"Well, Miss Harley, I've got a proposition."

"Oh?"

"You told me two months ago that when I was ready, I should come and find you and we would talk ourselves to death with the biggest grins upon our faces. In fact, you gave me a guaranteed Jade Harley promise, and you have fulfilled your promise. Would you like to be my friend again?" The formality of the way he proposes the question throws you off, but it makes you giddy inside that you might actually be able to fit him back into your life. Your life did seem a tiny bit lackluster without Dave's sarcastic quips and playful banter.

"Hm, I suppose I would like that," you accept his offer graciously, shaking his hand when he sticks it out for you in order to seal the deal.

"Ah, very good, yes," he says, prentending to twirl a fake mustache. "In that case, would you do me the honor of partaking in an intense game of high stakes monopoly?"

"High stakes monopoly?"

"Yeah, it's like monopoly, but high stakes."

"Okay, Dave. I'll join you in 'high stakes' monopoly," you tell him, giggling.

"Excellent. I will be waiting for you beside the cabin at approximately six-thirty on the dot, to which I will do you the honor of walking you to the Recreational Building." You reach over and punch him playfully in the arm.

"Quit being a goof." He crosses his arms, sticking out his tongue.

"Only if you do."

"Hey, what's going on here?" John and Rose find their way to your table, hovering above you with speculative expressions upon their faces.

"We were talking about playing high stakes monopoly tonight," you answer.

"Ooh, I wanna play! How about you, Rose? Do you wanna go?" Rose shrugs her shoulders, taking a seat next to Dave as John takes a place in the empty space next to you.

"What do I have to lose?"

"Your dignity," Dave remarks. She snorts.

"Yeah, like I had that to begin with."

The four of you delve deeper into conversation and you hold onto that effervescent feeling inside you, capturing the memory for your own personal time capsule. It felt amazing to be back together with such fantastic friends, and you were never going to forget it. You make it a point to glance down at your hand, tightening the red, blue, and purple strings tied to your fingers. They were never going to fall off, not by your watch. Dave, John, and Rose were here to stay, and you couldn't be happier about that.

 

**Rose: Read silently.**

 

You sit on the edge of the dock, dangling your legs over the side as you lick your finger, turning the beige pages of a book. The sun is setting already, the light fading from the sky, and soon you'll have to retire to another location, perhaps your bed because you were quite exhausted. For now you remain, enjoying the silent flow of the water and the occasional chirping of a bird still lost in time.

"Hey, Rose," a voice calls out to you, John's voice. You mark the page with a bookmark (you would _never_ dog ear a book in your life) and settle it on the dock, turning to face your friend.

"Oh, hello, John. What brings you here?" He makes a noncommittal gesture, walking over to join you at the edge, seating himself in the vacant spot beside you.

"I dunno, I was just bored. Figured I'd come down here and watch the sunset or something."

"Well, I can be of good company to you. Although I am confused as to why you'd be bored. Do you not want to hang out with Vriska?" He grows quiet, his mouth twisting to the side.

"We broke up awhile ago. I mean, we're still friends and everything, it's just . . . yeah," he admits shyly.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up. Hm, it seems like a lot of relationships formed here at camp are dwindling," you speculate.

"That's not true. I heard Gamzee and Tavros are doing terrifically," John points out.

"I guess you're right. Well, I'm sorry it didn't work out with her."

"That's okay, you don't have to be sorry about it. We both wanted different things, anyway. Should've known it wouldn't have worked out." He pauses a moment, as if considering something, then clears his throat. "Besides, I'm not entirely sure if the, uh, _other_ relationships aren't doomed. Just hitting a bit of a rough patch." You think understand right away what he's hinting at.

"Yes, I was noticing that. It doesn't surprise me, to say the least. I knew there was a spark there, still. It just needed a little resting period, is all." John peers over at you with his electric, cyan eyes, and you feel a lump in your throat.

"We are talking about the same thing, aren't we?" You bite your lip thoughtfully, mulling over the question.

"Of course we are." You feel your muscles stiffen as the tension between you rises. You notice John slowly inching closer to you, the edge of his fingers brushing against yours. Your mind scrambles to find something to cause some sort of distraction.

"Wow, the sky sure does look absolutely breathtaking," you breathe a moment later, moving his attention away from you to the sky.

"Oh wow, you're right!" he exclaims. You let out a sigh of relief, but your mind is suddenly alerted when something wraps around your hand. You look down and realize John has intertwined his fingers with yours.

You make no other attempt at conversation and just enjoy the silence of the moment, watching the golden sun disappear over the horizon, an you especially don't utter a word when John leans his shoulder against yours and you rest your head atop it. Nope, nothing at all.

 

**Jade: Take a walk.**

 

"--So there was peanut butter all over my turntables, the crow was dive bombing my room, and I had like fifteen minutes until Bro got home to get the twelve cats out of the bathroom," Dave rambles on as you take a walk, passing by the dock on the trail.

"Wait, Dave," you stop him, grasping onto his arm.

"What is it?" You gesture over to the end of the dock, pointing at the couple sitting on the edge of it.

"Is that John and Rose?" He turns to look where you're pointing.

"Whaaaaaa? Nah, they wouldn't--" He stops himself, rolling up the sleeves of his jacket. "I'm gonna give Egbert a swift, hard punch in the face." You restrain him, pulling him away from the direction of the dock to face you.

"Whoa there, Rocky Balboa. What's the big deal? They seem happy!"

"Isn't John still dating Vriska? If he thinks he's gonna get away with making the moves on my sister, he better fucking think twice--"

"He's not dating Vriska anymore," you tell him. His face drops, anger turning to surprise.

"He's not?" You shake your head, grinning.

"Nope!"

"Huh. Well, okay then. I guess it's fairly recent then. I dunno, John never mentioned anything to me about his dating life or whatever the fuck at all," he says.

"Rose didn't say anything to me, either," you admit. He tugs on your arm to in order to gain your attention, then motions towards himself with his index finger. You lean in and he brushes your hair away from your ear, cupping his hand around it.

"Let's push them into the lake."

His breath is hot upon your cheek and you feel yourself grow tense by how close in proximity he is to you.

_Quit it, Jade! You're the one who broke up with him, remember? You're not ready!_

But were you? Were you really not ready to have him back in your arms again? Did you not miss his warmth and when he would brush the hair out of your face or the way his kisses taste, the way he'd--WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP THIS RIGHT NOW.

"Ha ha, yeah," you mutter weakly, backing away from him rather quickly. He doesn't notice you do so and grabs you by the wrist to pull you alongside him to the beginning of the dock. You feel the warmth of his touch burn your arm, his skin always a few degrees warmer than yours at all times. You feel the air blow your hair back as you race down the wooden dock with him. He puts his hand out so he can get ready to push John, and right as he's about to--

You feel your self plunge face first into the water, soaking you entirely. You emerge from the water not too long after, your onyx locks pressed to your face.

"DAVE STRIDER!" you shout, thrashing about in the water.

"Whoops," he says, appearing next to you.

"What the fuck are you guys doing?" John demands, folding his arms across his chest.

"This _idiot_ had a bright idea to push the two of you into the lake and pushed us in instead!" you exclaim turning to him. He shrugs, grinning nervously at you. You reach over with both hands and push him back into the water a moment. He submerges, shaking out his hair.

"You need to lighten up, Jade!" he laughs, splashing you with water.

"Would you two like help _out_ of the water? I mean, unless you'd like to remain," Rose offers. You nod your head.

"Yes, _please_!" She sticks out a hand and you grab it, clambering up onto the dock, water dripping all over. John helps Dave up beside you and he sits up, taking off his shades to wipe off his face before placing them back on.

"You've got to admit, that was still fun," Dave jabs at your side with his elbow.

"No. I did not like getting drenched from head to toe in water. Did it occur to you that we do not have a lot of outfits to spare?" you question him sternly.

"Oh, jeez, Jade. I never considered the outfits! Now we'll have to run around the camp naked!" Dave remarks with fake concern.

"I bet you two would like that," John mutters, and you hear his barely audible, _"Oof!"_ , as Rose elbows him hard in the gut.

"Why don't you two leave us alone and go find dry clothes?" Rose proposes. "We were planning on staying out here awhile. _Alone_."

"Alright, alright, we can take a hint," Dave says, rising up from the dock. "C'mon, Jade. Let's leave these two _alone_."

He extends a hand out to you and you grab it, pulling yourself up from the boards of the dock. You flick your hands off, attempting to get some of the water off of yourself to no avail. The two of you ditch Rose and John and leave to return to the camp in order to dry off.

"You aren't really mad at me, are you?" he asks you as you walk along the path.

"No, of course not," you answer him, wringing out your hair. "A little peeved? Yes. But mad? No." He sighs a breath of relief and you add quietly, "I could never be mad at you."

"Good. I don't think I could live in a world where you were mad at me, at least for something as stupid as that."

Silence falls between the two of you and the sound of chirping crickets is heard as they strum their little songs of love on their own built-in violins. You turn to Dave, watching him as he strolls casually beside you, his pace matching yours. You heave a large sigh, rubbing the side of your face.

You had a problem. Your problem is that you were never entirely over him. You did what you had to do because you didn't need to be in a relationship when his mind was preoccupied with something that needed much more attention than yourself at the time. You would rather you and him not be together and he be okay rather than be together and him suffer. Yet here he was now, much better than before, hanging out with you the most, nonetheless, and you wanted more than anything for him to grab you by the arms and kiss you passionately. Another part of you told you that was a terrible idea and that you and him were not ready to withstand another shot at your relationship. And another, terrible, more realistic part of you thought that the only reason he was with you in the first place was because he thought that you could distract him and magically cure him and that he falsified ever having feelings for you to begin with.

"Jade, you okay?"

You're suddenly brought back to planet Earth when you hear his voice enter your subconscious. You break from your train of thought and focus back onto him.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I was just thinking," you tell Dave.

"Thinking about what?" You contemplate asking him where the two of you stood right now, or even just kissing him yourself, but you knew that was a stupid idea. You and him were only just starting to become really good friends again, and you didn't want to ruin that.

" . . . Your story from earlier! I was thinking about how it could possibly end!" you recover quickly, making up something on the fly. He seems to accept this answer without questioning it.

"Oh yeah! Okay, so as I was saying, there was peanut butter all over my turntables, the crow was dive bombing my room, and Bro was going to be home in fifteen minutes and I still hadn't taken care of the twelve cats in the bathroom . . . "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sweet, another chapter! Alright, I've got about two more chapters I'm going to post (Wednesday, Friday) and then I'm going to write the rest of it and that'll take me not too much time so yay! I hope you all are enjoying it and keep on reading :)


	16. Chapter 16

**Dave: Take morning jog with John.**

 

"You're getting better at this!" you shout to John as he slowly catches up beside you, huffing.

"Yeah, sure," he pants, focusing ahead.

"So, I've got a question for you."

"Shoot away, man." You slow down a bit for John's sake, keeping an even steady pace as your feet push off the ground.

"So what's going on with you and Rose? Are the two of you like an item or what?"

"I guess so. I mean, we haven't really said much, but I'm not trying to pressure her into anything she doesn't want. We're just keeping it easy. I like to consider it 'really close friends that sometimes hold hands'. That's the best description I've got for it," he explains. "And I guess since we're talking about budding relationships I should point out that you've been hanging out with Jade an awful lot again." Although you're already heated and sweaty from the exercise, you feel your cheeks start to burn a bit.

"Ah ha, yeaaaaah," you mutter weakly. He raises his brow at you.

"Hmm, I'm sensing that your 'ah ha, yeah' isn't referring to acknowledgement as it is you being secretive."

"Did it come off that way? I didn't notice," you respond nonchalantly.

"Oh, knock it off, Dave. I know you still like her."

"Ugh, fine, I'm not over her. It's so stupid because we're just becoming friends again but it's like, I never stopped loving her, you know? And to make matters worse, I'm sure that's all she wants to be is friends. _She_ broke up with me, so I'm sure that's given her plenty of time to get over me," you confess.

"You really think that, Dave? I think you're a little dense, then."

"What, did she tell you she still likes me?" you press on.

"What are we, like five? No, she hasn't told me shit. All I know is that she seems like she still likes you an awful lot. Why don't you talk to her about it?"

"Fuck no!" you shout.

"Come on, Dave, do you really think she's going to stop being friends with you even if she didn't? I'm definitely sure Jade's a pretty understanding person who's aware that it makes sense if you still have feelings for her. I doubt she'd ever just stop being your friend because you like her," John reasons with you.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." You halt conversation with him as you reach the opening of the path back into camp. As you round the corner you collide with something, causing you to stumble backwards and fall onto your back.

"Ugh!"

Something lands onto your chest, and you notice not a moment later that it's a person. Your throat constricts when you realize that the person that you collided with, the person that landed on top of you, is Jade. She gains her awareness of the situation seconds later, her entire face flaring up as her eyes widen.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" she exclaims, fumbling around to remove herself from you.

"I better go," John interrupts, sprinting off back towards the camp, deserting you and leaving you in a compromising position alone with Jade. You sit up and help each other off the ground, holding one another's arms as you regain your balance.

"I didn't mean to knock into you," she apologizes profusely, dusting off your shirt and everything. You come to the realization that you haven't said a word yet, your voice still caught in your throat.

"It's okay," you finally manage. "It was my fault, too. What are you doing up so early?" She walks beside you as you make your way to the main grounds.

"It's not really that early, Dave." You shrug. "Well, anyway, I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to go on a morning walk, which turned out to be a bad idea," she chuckles nervously.

"No, it was a good idea," you reassure her. "Now we can go get breakfast together. I'm starving now that I got that jog through. I bet John's also glad that he doesn't have to run with me anymore today, as well. Let's just say he hasn't quite caught up with me yet," you smirk, winking at her. She giggles, pressing her fingers to her lips.

"I don't think anyone can match your Strider fastness."

"Or my Strider charm," you flash a smile.

"That too," she says as you ascend the stairs and enter the busy cafeteria, getting into line as you pick up your trays and plates.

"Ooh, I wonder what it will be today. I'm hoping it's canned beets," you jest.

"The only beets I like are sick ones," Jade quips. You chuckle, grinning at her.

"Did you just make a pun at me?" She nods her head, lips curving upward.

"I thought it was a pretty good one."

"You are truly John's cousin, that's for sure." You hand your plate over to the server who loads it up, handing it back to you. This morning it's plain grits with a side of carrots and green beans. "Mmm, not too shabby."

"I love green beans," she hums, following behind you as you search for a table. You notice a group of kids huddled around the duty sheet, muttering with each other.

"Hey, I forgot we haven't checked the sheet for this week," you mention to Jade, gesturing to the location of the sheet up on the wall. "Wanna go check it out really quickly?"

"Sure," she replies, and the two of you make your way up to the board, shooing the kids out of the way in order to get a good look at it. There's a hitch in your breath when you notice that you and she are on supply duty for the month.

"Looks like we got supplies," you comment.

"I wish it was kitchen," she mutters, the two of you turning around in order to relocate to the empty table a few feet from you.

"Me too. I'm not sure if I'm ready to go out again, especially since we have to walk further this time. After John and Rose's experience, it's always made me a little on edge with that job." You place your tray on the table and sit down as she seats herself across from you.

"Yeah, I feel the same way. I mean, the last time I did it was months ago, and granted, it wasn't that bad, but still." She stabs her fork into the green beans and takes a bite.

"It can't be all that bad. I mean, I get to hang out with you," you smirk at her.

"Oh god, I didn't consider that. Ugh, I get to be stuck with you!" she jests, placing her hands on the side of her face as she looks at you with pretend disgust.

"Speak for yourself, Harley," you retort, snatching a bite of your grits. "I still can't believe I have to put up with you."

"Hey!" She reaches over and punches you on the shoulder playfully. As she returns to her seat, you watch as she proceeds to cram the rest of her green beans into her mouth, her cheeks distended like some sort of chipmunk storing up food for the winter.

"Damn, you really like those green beans, huh?" you note aloud.

"Yup," she mumbles through a mouthful of food. After she's chewed it up and swallowed it, she takes her fork and reaches over to steal some from your plate. You swipe it away from her just in time.

"Wait a minute, just because we're friends does not give you the right to just reach over and steal my green beans and shit. Dude's gotta eat, too, you know," you point your fork at her.

"Awww, come on, Dave! Just a bite?" She contorts her face into her signature puppy dog pout, distending her lip and widening her eyes. "Oh no, you are not pulling that shit on me. I am immune to those eyes. Where's a spray bottle?" She continues staring at you and you feel your heart grow weak, causing you to berate yourself in your mind for being so susceptible to Jade's persuasion. "Whatever, go ahead and take 'em."

"Yay! Thank you, Dave!" she chirps, stabbing them all on her fork and moving them to her plate. You shake your head at her, sighing.

"You're too much for me, you know that?" She stretches a wide grin across her face, amused with herself.

"I try!"

The two of you finish up your meals as quickly as possible, both equally starved. When you're finished you get up and dispense your dishes and trays into the soiled dishes bin and exit the cafeteria, finding your way into the fresh morning air.

"Hmm, wanna walk? I know you were jogging not too long ago, but I didn't get much of one in before I ran into you," Jade suggests shyly.

"Hey, we've got like, what, an hour to kill before we need to get ready to go? I think we'll be fine," you tell her, descending the steps onto the dirt ground, finding the trail that you normally jog on, taking long strides in order to keep an even pace and enjoy the day.

You hear the birds chirping throughout the forest as the two of you enjoy a bout of silence for quite some time. You pass by the lake and watch it shimmer as the sun rises above, its rays glistening against the landscape. It amazes you at how the nature around you still manages to keep living even in the given conditions. It was surely winning the battle of survival of the fittest.

"So, are Rose and John like, a thing now?" Jade finally questions after a long while.

"John told me this morning that they were, and I quote, 'really close friends that sometimes hold hands' and shit like that. I personally think they should just make out and get it over with. Dude's got a boner for her and she has one for him, too."

"Yeah! I know it got a little awkward what with the Vriska situation and all, but that seems to have resolved and everything, and I think they'd be really cute together. It's so obvious that they like each other."

"Of course, they know that and they know that they both like each other, they're just scared to make any move on each other," you remark.

"Well, they are holding hands!" Jade says sarcastically.

"In the olden days, that'd mean that they'd have to get married. Of course, Rose has to get my blessing first, me being the man of the house and all. I don't know if I will though. For all I know, that scrawny little shit Egbert could be toying with her heart. I won't have him soil her reputation!" you shout dramatically. Jade giggles beside you, blithely knocking her shoulder into yours.

"I don't think it works like that, now!"

"You're damn right it doesn't. And that's downright disrespectful. Did John ask me if I thought he was worthy to court Rose? No he didn't. He thinks he's some sort of playboy, seducing the women around the camp, but he's got another thing coming to him! I will have to challenge the little fucker to a duel. His hammer ain't got shit on my sword," you fold your arms across your chest.

"He wouldn't have a chance at all then," she laughs. "Unless he's been trained in hammer martial arts or something. Of course, you're just as disrespectful as him. He's the man of our household now. Did you ever ask him if you could court a righteous lady such as myself?" You glance over at her and watch her face flush red immediately, her eyes widening with horror. "Oh my gosh, I didn't mean to--"

"Relax, Jade," you attempt to reassure her, but it's too late. The awkwardness clings to the air like a fish on a hook. "You're right, I never asked John. Maybe this is his shitty way at revenge!" Your attempt at recovering from her comment falters without hesitation. Jade remains quiet, as if contemplating something.

"Dave, do you . . . well . . . Dave, I was wondering if you . . . nevermind," she dismisses the thought, maintaining extra focus on refraining eye contact with you.

"No, go ahead. What'd you want, Harley?"

"Look, I know this'll probably sound stupid or something, but do you still l--"

"Hey, Rose, look who I found!" The two of you are interrupted by the famous cockblocker himself, John Egbert. He speeds up, breaking the space in between you and Jade and filling it immediately with himself.

"Oh, hey, John. Didn't realize you were hanging around here," you grit your teeth, glaring at him disapprovingly. He gives you a pointed look back, as if saying, _"This is payback for the other day, bitch."_

"We thought our two favorite people in the world could use some company!" he exclaims, and Rose catches up, lagging behind, slightly.

"Yes, _we_ did. It was a collective agreement. Totally talked over and everything," she mutters sarcastically, a look of utter unamusement apparent upon her face.

"That's okay, we weren't talking about anything important or anything." Jade draws her face into a cheeky smile, one that you can only guess is put on for the sake of her not wanting to go off on John for being an idiot. You can't really blame her, either.

"Awesome! Now why don't the four of us hang out like the good buddies we are?" John asks, slinging his arms around you and Jade's necks.

"Sorry man, no can do. We've got about an half an hour before we have to leave for supply duty so we can't do whatever weird bonding shenanigans you had in mind." You brush his arm off your shoulder, pushing his face away from you.

"That's enough time to hang out!" John exclaims. You halt in your path, stopping everyone else. You grab Rose's hand and close it around John's and push it them in the opposite direction.

"Go. Leave. Make out or something, I don't care. Just quit bugging us!" Rose nods at you and drags John off, leaving you and Jade alone again.

"He wins the award for most annoying kid on the planet. I bestow it upon him, creating it in his honor," you breathe.

"Yeah, but he's also your best friend," Jade points out.

"Why did I let that happen?" you groan. "Anyway, what were you talking about before?"

"Actually, Dave, I think I'm going to go head back to the girls' cabin and get ready. I kinda just want to relax a bit before we have to go," she confesses.

"Oh. Alright then. You go be your baller self, Harley, and I'll meet you at the gates in half an hour, I suppose." You wave to her as she turns back towards camp, disappearing as she deserts you on the trail. You sort of wish you got to hear what she was going to ask you, but you suppose it'll come up in another conversation in the future.

You decide to complete your trip around the trail and then return to your cabin as well, digging up your clothes for supply duty (after a certain amount of time at camp, you're allowed to keep them) and pulling them on, minus the vest. As you're kicking your regular clothes underneath the bottom bunk, you feel a tap on your shoulder. When you turn around, you're facing Gamzee Makara, a person who you hadn't talked to much since your alcoholic days. You could tell he was sort of livid with you when the whole alcoholic storage under the cabin was discovered, confiscated, and dumped, but you frankly didn't give a shit and he seemed to have gotten over it since then.

"Hey, my mothafuckin' bro," he greets you with a (rather creepy) grin. Ever since he started wearing that face paint ironically as a tribute to the Insane Clown Posse or whatever the fuck (the band was just a couple of freaky clowns, and you had never been too fond of clowns to begin with), he had a knack for making you feel uneasy. You still regard him as a sort of friend, nonetheless, paying him heed.

"Oh, hey, Gamzee. What can I do for you?" you ask.

"Well, I saw that you were all up on the list for going out today and what not and I had a kind of favor to ask you."

"Shoot away," you tell him, sticking your hands into your pockets.

"See, this is the first time Tavros has been picked to be part of this shit because he doesn't do too well with zombies. I tried to get them to take him off the motherfuckin' list but Aradia told me no," he bellows, a slight moment of rage pouring through him before returning to a state of calm. "I just wanted someone I knew I could trust to watch him and make sure he doesn't get hurt. Do you think you could do that for me, bro?" You would do a favor like that for anyone regardless of who it was, but the way Gamzee words it makes it sound like a command that you are bounded by law to follow or something might bad might happen to you. Somehow you have a feeling that speculation might be right.

"Dude, no problem, I got it. I'll make sure Tavros gets back to you in one piece, wrapped up like a fucking present with a tight-as-shit bow on top and you'll be all like, 'Wow, Dave, what a guy!' It'll be all smiles and shit from then on out," you raise your fist, and he pounds it in return.

"Alright, good," he hums, deserting you afterward. You gulp, hoping that no shit goes wrong.

Then you remember that you'll be fine, because you're motherfucking Dave Strider, and zombies ain't got shit on you.

 

**Jade: Prepare for war!**

 

No, you weren't really preparing for war, but in your supply uniforms, you sure felt an awful lot like you were. Nothing about the outfit screamed flattering in any way, and the black material made you all hot and sweaty in the process. You made sure to tie your hair up this time unlike last time, which proved to be a real burden.

"Hey, Jade," Dave greets you, spotting you amongst the rest of the campers going on the trip.

"Oh, hey, Dave!" As he comes up next to you, you can't help but blush a little. Dave looked really good in a soldier uniform.

"Whatcha thinkin' about there, Harley? You've got a look of intense concentration on your face like someone handed you a math text book and asked you to answer all the questions in it in one sitting," Dave asks you. Once again you're sputtering, trying to cover up the fact that you were TOTALLY NOT THINKING ABOUT HIM AT ALL.

"Uh, I was just . . . uh . . . uhhhhhh . . . thinking about cellular respiration for plants! You know, photosynthesis and all that junk. I just get caught up thinking about how it works all the time, it's so fascinating. I love that carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight all come together to create glucose and oxygen, which is energy for the plant! Isn't that just fascinating to you, Dave?" you ramble, a technique you've become quite familiar with. He doesn't say anything for a minute or so, staring at you like he's trying to figure out whether you're fucking with him or not.

"Wow, that is just about the fucking nerdiest thing I've ever heard, Jade. Congrats, you've finally made first place in rank over John for dorkiest kid in the world, by far. I will present you with your trophy and certificate tomorrow morning," he quips.

"You're so mean!" You stick your tongue out at him, a motion that makes you remember that you are in fact an adult now and not six years old. Oh how the time flies.

"Okay, is everybody ready for our trip today? We're going to be going about an hour and a half out of the way, so I hope you guys packed some food and drinks because we'll be gone quite a while!" Aradia shouts out to the group. "Let's go!"

The whole group sets off by foot down the road, taking the same turns as usual until the path bifurcates to another section that you haven't explored yet. You've found that as more and more trips occur, the further in distance you guys have had to travel. You can only begin to imagine what the future holds for such things. It makes you shiver to think about it.

"Okay, so I cannot stand the absolute silence coming from you because it is boring as shit out here just walking. Talk to me, Harley. Tell me anything, even that stuff about the plants, if you want. Well, maybe not that, but anything to make this trip any less boring as fuck." Dave slides his way into your train of thought as he begins to talk to you, poking you as if to say, _"PAY ATTENTION TO ME."_ You like to think he's sort of like a dog that way.

"Hmm, I'm not quite sure what to say! I'm just as bored as you are, Dave," you tell him.

"Not good enough. How are you feeling today? Peachy keen? Avocado envious? Melon melancholy?"

"How about 'fine'? Unless it's urgent that I attach some sort of fruit with it," you joke.

"What? An avocado isn't a fruit."

"Yes it is, Dave."

"It is most certainly a vegetable. That shit does _not_ taste like a fruit." You sigh.

"How do you explain a tomato, then? Tomatoes are fruits and they don't taste like them."

"Okay, now I know you're making this up because tomatoes and avocadoes are not fruits and that is final," he folds his arms across his chest.

"You are so stupid! You're going to tell the girl who has spent most of her life learning, eating, breathing assorted plants that she is wrong?" You notice the twitch of his thinned lips and you realize that he is just trying to get a rise out of you, or in other words, he's fucking with you.

"I'd like to see this badge of authenticity, certificate, or degree in plants that you claim to have, because I think you're just trying to fabricate the fact that you don't know shit about plants," he taunts.

_Oh, two can play at that game._

"I am so offended that you would accuse me of that, Dave!" you pretend to be horrified and upset, hoping that he'll fall to your trap. You turn on the waterworks for extra effect, letting tears collect in your eyes. You watch as his high and mighty posture drops quickly as his forehead creases with worry lines.

"Oh my god, Jade, I am so sorry. What the fuck did I do, shit shit shit shit," he curses, attempting to console you with no avail. You stop pretending to cry, a smug, shit-eating grin crawling upon your face.

"You are such a fucking dork! You really thought that I would get that upset over something as simple as that? Come on, Dave, do you really know me?" He stares at you for a couple of minutes, trying to calculate in his head what just happened.

"You were fucking with me?" You move your head up and down. "Shit, you are good at this. I hate you so much," he groans, pressing his hand to his forehead. "I forgot that you take shit from no one. John is so much easier to mess with, honestly."

"He is, isn't he? We need to pull a prank on him sometime, together," you say.

"Oh no, he would get so pissed. If we left him out of a prank, we would never hear the end of it. You don't have to deal with him as much as I do because he's my bunk mate. Did you know he talks in his sleep sometimes?"

"Somehow that is not hard to believe at all. What does he talk about?"

"Most of the time it's gibberish, but occasionally it'll be something that I can blackmail him with if the occasion ever arises, like when he spent almost half an hour talking about someone buttering up his pancakes, and I can assure you that was not a euphemism," Dave tells you. You snort in response.

"John's a real nerd, isn't he?"

"Ahh, I see what you're doing. You're trying to sell John for the 'Dorkiest Kid Alive' award. Sorry, Sweetheart, you've claimed it for life." You pout, crossing your arms.

"There better be a real award for this, because I will be mad if I don't get a gold trophy engraved to me on my doorstep tomorrow. I won it fair and square!" He chuckles, smirking at you.

"That's right, Harley. Embrace it!"

The two of you spend the entire time entertaining each other with whatever conversation topic you can muster on the spot. You're gracious that you never really run out of things to say, but when you do have your moments of silence, they are accepted and understood between the two of you, as if it were natural for no conversation to be held at all.

The trees go on for miles upon end and your legs begin to become sort at one point, but your team graciously makes several rest stops so that you can take a breather, get water, and then continue trekking once again. You're not sure how much time has passed, but the direction in which you are headed grows cloudier and cloudier, and it seems as if you are going to hit a patch of rain at some point. When you feel a water droplet on your nose, it becomes true. The onslaught of rain comes slowly but it doesn't take long for the entire group to become drenched. Aradia alerts the group that you are growing closer to your destination, and you breathe, bemoaning in your mind the fact that the trip isn't even half done. You force yourself to make a metaphorical bridge and get over it.

As you reach the town, you notice it is dilapidated much like all the other towns, but something about the area just seems off. You make sure to stick close to Dave, because out of all the people in the area, he's the one you're most comfortable with. Aradia splits the groups up into fours, your group being you, Dave, Tavros, and Feferi. She assigns your group with finding clothing and shoes and such, and you let out a sigh of relief, glad that it's not weapons. You know what happened last time with John and Rose, and frankly, you're not going to deal with that task. You already felt on edge enough as it is. Aradia dismisses the teams and everyone splits off in different directions.

The stores and buildings around are spaced out rather widely, meaning you have to walk a while in between each of them.

"So where do you guys want to go first? That Dollar General over there might have something," Dave suggests.

"Sure, let's go there," you agree, following alongside the other three. You feel a shiver run up your spine. "Does anyone else feel, I dunno, creeped out about this town?"

"It seems fantastic to me!" Feferi bubbles, ever the optimist.

"Uh, I think Jade is right," Tavros says. "It is a bit weird being in deserted towns. I also don't particularly like being out here. Zombies are not my favorites."

"Yeah, I feel that," Dave chimes in. "These missions never get any easier. I think we're being sheltered too much. We're also not training anyone for these, so we send out any poor kid who just is lucky enough to get their name drawn for a hat and expect them to be able to handle a gun and the possibility of a crazy person blowing their brains in." You grimace at his statement, but you know he's right.

"We'll be okay, just as long as we don't think about it." The rest of the group nods their heads at you and you press on nearer to the Dollar General, pushing your way through the door into the dark, damp store building. The light switches don't work, so you grab your flashlights from your backpacks, flicking them on to illuminate the way. You split up with the four of them, shuffling through the shelves for anything that might be salvageable.

"Check it out, Harley!" Dave pops out of nowhere, causing you to jump and drop your flashlight.

"Daaaave!" you whisper harshly at him as you pick up your flashlight, shining it on him.

"Oops, sorry," he apologizes. "Anyway, check this out!" He places something up to his chest, a shirt that reads, 'I don't give a flying firetruck'. "It's so lame and ironic, I just love it!" You roll your eyes at him.

"Just put it away in the backpack and let's keep looking. We've got to find stuff before we go." He does as he's told and places the shirt in the backpack, returning to his section of the store. The four of you finish up clearing the place of any old crappy shirt or flip flop or whatever the hell you can find and walk back out into the rain, becoming drenched again immediately.

"Ugh, when will this rain just go away?" you groan as you walk back on down the road, pressed against the trees.

"D-Did you h-hear that?" Tavros stammers nervously.

"It's probably just your imagination, Tavros. Jade did build this place up on the freaky factor a bit, didn't you?" Feferi remarks. You shoot her a pointed look, crossing your arms.

"Look here, Miss Prissy Bitch--" you begin, but suddenly a glass-shattering scream pierces the air and you're thrust backward, your mind spinning.

"TAVROS!!!"

Once you've gathered your bearings, you notice what's happening as the scene unfolds before you. Dave's pushed you aside as he fires a couple of rounds at the zombies attacking Tavros, but more and more pile upon him, and you can only stand back and watch in horror as your friend is brutally massacred by the zombies. Dave falters only a moment before returning to fire again at them, and you follow in pursuit, grabbing your own gun off your shoulder and firing with quick precision and accuracy. Thick, black blood splatters around as the zombies fall on top of each other in a heap, covering up Tavros in the process. When you've cleared the lot of them, you pant frantically as Feferi sobs from the side. Beside you Dave stands completely stiff, his mind in shock and still processing the unfortunate mishap.

"What the hell happened?!"

You turn and notice Aradia sprinting up the street, the rest of the kids trailing behind her. When she reaches the three of you, she looks around at the scene, trying to assess the situation that occurred.

"Where's Tavros?"

The three of you exchange glances with each other before turning your attention towards the pile of corpses in front of you, and Feferi shrieks, running into the arms of another camper for comfort.

"I am _so sorry_ ," Aradia's lip trembles, eyes fixated on what atrocity is underneath the pile. You turn towards Dave who hasn't moved an inch still. You tug on his arm, finding your voice.

"Dave," you call to him, "Dave, are you alright?" You suddenly notice that he's not completely still but _shaking_ , his breathing running shallow.

"I let him die," he mutters quietly.

"There wasn't anything you could do to save him. It's not your fault, Dave," you try to reassure him, resting your hand on his shoulder. He shakes it off, trying to distance himself from you, but you refuse, positioning yourself so that you're in front of him, staring him dead in the eyes.

"I promised Gamzee I would keep him safe, and I failed," he confesses, straining his voice. You shake your head at him, placing your hands onto his cold cheeks, pulling his face down to meet your gaze.

"You quit that, Dave," you order him, lip quivering. "You are not about to do this to yourself again. I am not going to let that happen. Just breathe, Dave."

He remains still for a good minute longer, until you hear something drop to the ground and his hands clasp around your back. He nuzzles his face into your shoulder and you're aware of the fact that you're having this intimate moment with him in front of twenty or so people, but you do not give a shit. When you've managed to calm him down you peel yourself away from him and reach down on the ground for his gun, handing it to him. He slings it onto his shoulder and you take his hand in yours, lacing your fingers with his.

"Let's go back," Aradia says calmly after you've finished, turning to push her way to the front of the group.

Feet press onto damp asphalt and no one utters a single word the entire trip back to camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh yeah so one more chapter until the major split in the story and I cannot guarantee any happiness for that. Basically this fic is an emotional rollercoaster in a way so you'll just have to stick around for things. So please, keep reading, and I'll have the next chapter ready on Friday!! (And it's a doozy)


	17. Chapter 17

**Rose: Mourn.**

 

The rain pours down over the camp but a memorial service is still placed regardless of whether a little water was falling from the sky. Everyone around camp barely makes a sound, solemn faces hanging in the gloom of the day. Most barely leave the cabins, huddling together to just keep each other company while melancholia cries out for her fallen comrade. The droplets of rain dance as if they too know the fate of your dear friend, composing a ballet in his honor.

The only person missing from your cabin right now, minus the people organizing the memorial service, is Jade, who spends most of her time with Dave. You don't blame her one bit, either. First of all, she was right there with him when it happened, sharing the same moment of traumatization. Secondly and most importantly, she was trying to will Dave out of becoming despondent, because after all this progress he's made, she did not want him to spiral out of control again. She had only just begun to repair their relationship, and she didn't want to lose him in any sort of way. You let her handle things herself, knowing fully that if she did need help keeping him together, you would be ready to respond as quick as lightning.

You and John hadn't spoken much after you heard about the incident, and part of that you can attribute partially to him being worried about Jade, despite her being in Dave's company. He knows she's seen enough death on her plate to constitute a visit to a cemetery and he wants to be there for her in case something does go wrong.

Your whole take on the situation was the same as everyone else's: shock, horror, pain from loss. You hadn't known Tavros all too well but you knew him to be quite an enjoyable person, and to think that someone you've gotten to know for the last year and a half has suddenly ceased living is . . . well . . . _scary as hell_. It was frightening and chilled you to the bone, making you think back to that moment when you and John were on duty and you almost had your brains blown out of your skull. This was much worse than that, however, for it was not a quick and painless death. It was a sort of sadistic cannibalism that could not be helped by the devourers, their flesh rotting and rolling off their corpses as they contain only one thought in their undead psyches: _eat_. The whole thing made you think that you could've been him, you could've been in that same situation. It could've been you.

All the while, you've attempted to help Feferi cope. She's taken a bout of silence now, moving from her screaming and crying to just no response whatsoever. You've been watching her carefully to make sure she's okay, that nothing she's not set off by anything. You hope that she can find a way to deal with the trauma in a positive way, but you also knew that was a hard task to ask anyone who's seen any kind of traumatizing scene.

The whole situation was frightening and terrifying and the sort of thing no one was prepared to deal with. After all, you only go out on these supply missions once every one to to months, and if you're lucky and have plenty of supplies, then three months. No one could have predicted this would happen.

No one except for Gamzee Makara, who begged Aradia not to put Tavros on the team. He knew Tavros wasn't fit to go out, and he tried his best to stop it. The whole thing had turned into a game of 'Whose Fault Is It Anyway?', while everyone silently picked sides. It was foolish because there was no side, no one person was at fault. Tavros could have easily come home unscathed and everyone would be happy and joyful as always that things were going their way. It was a terrible fate of probability and her spinner that landed directly on Tavros, sealing his fate. The whole concept was hard for people to understand, because all everyone wants is an explanation in order to rid themselves of looming anxiety. They want to stop feeling bad by rationalizing the situation, an all too common defense mechanism that you refuse to fall prey to. In short,

Fate, thou art a cruel, heartless bitch.

A knock erupts from the door and one of your cabin mates runs to answer it herself.

"Rose, it's for you," she calls out to you, and you remove yourself from your bed, walking across the wooden boards to meet whoever is at the door.

"Hey, Rose." The figure at the door is John, who is currently fitted in a bright blue rain jacket, jeans, and a pair of black sneakers. His hair is wet, you assume because he merely forgot to put his hood up.

"Hello, John," you greet him. "What can I do for you?"

"Would you like to go on a walk with me?" he asks, gesturing behind him with his thumb. You nod your head and hold up an index finger, signaling him to wait for you momentarily. You rush to pull on a pair of shoes and find your jacket, pulling it onto your shoulders and zipping it up. You locate Kanaya who is on her bed in the corner reading.

"Kanaya, could I ask a favor of you?" you whisper.

"Of course, Rose," she replies, placing a bookmark in her book and closing it.

"Please watch over Feferi. I don't want her to do anything reckless or anything, because I know this is a traumatizing time for her. I just want someone to keep her safe in this hectic and solemn time," you explain.

"I will make sure she stays safe, and that's a promise. We'll all do it." You offer a quick smile before heading back to the door, closing it behind you before you join John. You pull your hood over your head as you step out into the rain.

"What's up, John? Is everything alright?" He shoves his hands into his pockets and shrugs. You reach over and pull his hood onto his head to shield him from the downpour.

"Not much. I just wanted someone to be with right now, and Dave and Jade are both kind of taken up right now. I kind of just wanted to talk about it, really," he admits.

"You know I'm always willing to lend an ear," you grin, wrapping an arm around the crook of his elbow.

"Well, I was just thinking about how strange it was that Tavros was here one day and gone the next. It's sort of hard to wrap your head around, you know? One minute you're absolutely safe, and then the next moment some freak thing happens and you're gone just like that. What if that was us that day?"

"I thought about that, too. I think our best option right now, is to be thankful that it was not us, to mourn the loss of a fallen friend, and comfort those in need." You feel John unlink his arm from yours and grab your hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Thank you, Rose."

 

**John: Attend the service.**

 

"We are here today to mourn the loss of a dear friend, and remember him and his impact he had on us. Tavros was a good person," _They always are,_ "An upstanding friend, and the space he is left in our hearts can only be filled with the memories we shared with him. I'd like to take the time to allow anyone to come up here and share something about Tavros Nitram." Aradia moves to the side and Terezi is the first to hobble up to the front, led by Karkat. He turns her towards the group and then steps away, allowing her to share her thoughts. She clears her voice before beginning her speech.

"Tavros was one of my best friends growing up, along with Vriska. We lived in the same hometown in Louisiana, and we met in second grade when I stuffed some crayons up his nose. I know I may not seem like the kind of person to be sentimental about stuff like this, but it's hard to discover that someone you've known that long will suddenly no longer be here anymore. He helped me out all the time, especially when I became blind, and he was always there to listen to me and take care of me when I needed it. When we were younger we would play pirates together and he would always insist on being Peter Pan, while Vriska and I were the pirates, and I still laugh thinking about those days, those being some of the remaining memories I am able to hold of actually seeing him.

"He was a young soul, not yet ready to flee the world, but death welcomed him with open arms and shrouded him, giving him the sort of release from this hellbent world that we seem to not be able to accept. In some ways, he's luckier than us, not having to spend another moment fearing if the next day will be the day that we die. But his tiny lift left big footprints on all of our hearts, and for that, I am ever grateful. All I have to say is, I hope you're in Neverland right now, Tavros, flying with the fairies with a big smile on your face, knowing that to die is an awfully big adventure."

Karkat appears by her side and leads her away as Vriska comes to focus, and you feel your throat run dry. You knew more than anything that it was hard on her, whether or not she wanted to show that.

"Hello, everyone. I just wanted to say, to start off with, was that Tavros was not the strongest. He was not the brightest or even the kindest sometimes, but he had his moments where he was strong and he was smart as hell and he was kind to boot. I say these things because we always tend to glorify the good parts of people and ignore the bad parts, but I don't think that's necessarily a good thing. I think that we have to accept the good with the bad, because flaws are what make you human. Yeah, they're not the greatest thing in the world, and I know because my biggest flaw is that I'm a bitch. But you know what? That's a part of me that I've come to terms with, and a friend of mine taught me to embrace that. Tavros was human, and that was the most important part about him. He was living, he was breathing, and he was goddamn important." She pauses a long moment to collect her thoughts, heaves a sigh, then continues.

"When Tavros was alive, I wasn't always the nicest to him. I was selfish and used him for my own personal gain, but somehow he never held that against me. Sure, he became quite wary of me and never was as good of friends with me as we used to be, but he was still my friend. He knew that holding a grudge was bad, and he refused to keep one with me. So please, don't blame any one person for what happened. Don't focus on the fact that he died, but focus on the fact that he lived, and that he lived with us."

After she leaves, quite a few more people come up and share their favorite little moments they shared with him, everyone except for Gamzee Makara, who seems to be absent from the service. They finish not too long later, and people begin passing out candles as Aradia returns to the front.

"I know that we cannot light these candles in the rain, but we can still wave these candles for Tavros, knowing full well that our spirits are what keeps these candles lit. Please join me in singing a song that we thought fit the best for celebrating Tavros' life." Someone picks up the guitar and begins to play and Aradia begins to sing a song that you've heard maybe once or twice before in your life, and soon everyone joins along, waving their candles back and forth as they sway together.

-

_"Some bright morning when this life is over_

_I'll fly away_

_To that home on God's celestial shore_

_I'll fly away_

 

_I'll fly away, oh glory_

_I'll fly away in the morning_

_When I die hallelujah by and by_

_I'll fly away_

 

_When the shadows of this life have gone_

_I'll fly away_

_Like a bird from these prison walls I'll fly_

_I'll fly away_

 

_I'll fly away, oh glory_

_I'll fly away in the morning_

_When I die hallelujah by and by_

_I'll fly away_

-

Prayers are shared afterward along with final thoughts, and soon the service is finished as everyone shuffles away back to their cabins. You, Rose, Dave, and Jade lag behind, standing together in the pouring rain.

"Was it scary?" you ask. You're afraid the question seems inappropriate and provocative at first, but Dave pipes up, answering it.

"It's terrifying. And sad. And it twists and shapes your mind into a new way of thinking that can never be undone."

"It's just . . . sad," is all Jade is able to articulate.

"You know, after the crazy year we've had, everything else before just seems, well, _unimportant_. Like we were making a mountain out of molehill and we didn't even take the time to really realize that we've been wasting precious hours of the time we could've been spending enjoying life. I kind of wish that we would have recognized that," you mutter.

"Agreed," Rose says.

"Alright, let's make a pact right now. I'm calling it the 'we're not going to be stupid and petty and withdrawn from each other anymore' pact. I mean, I know we're going to get into quarrels and everything, but let's not hold on to every last thing, okay? Let's just enjoy the time we have together, no matter how long or short that is. Is everyone in?" Jade initiates it, but she pulls the four of you into a big group embrace, and everyone leans their heads against each other.

"I'm in," she breathes.

"Me too," Dave seconds.

"Me three," Rose agrees.

"Good."

 

**Jade: Think. Think a lot. Think until your brain hurts.**

 

Two days had passed since the incident, and one whole day had passed since the memorial, and today things were still quiet, but the rain had passed, people came out of their cabins, and chatter had begun again. It wasn't quite a drastic shift back into normal life, nor would it be for quite some time, but it was settling into a peaceful and close state as people never walked without someone else.

You had been thinking a lot about what happened with Dave, and you were still thinking about it as you ate with him, and talked with him, and even slept beside him. You felt absolutely ridiculous and stupid and extremely inappropriate for thinking of your relationship at a time like this, but it did no good to dwell on things, and even you could admit that your behavior was teetering a little over the 'just friends' side. Your whole problem was that you wanted desperately to keep Dave in check.

Dave had almost entirely lost that jubilant spark he had adopted, and had shifted back into his old, aloof self, but he still maintained a lighter energy, much different from the depressed Dave you had come to know. He wanted you around this time, he wanted your company, he wanted to talk to you, and you considered that a big deal. He had been thrown quite off balance, and it didn't help at all that he still hadn't talked to Gamzee about it yet. Of course, Gamzee seemed to be missing, so not much could really be done. You still remember how he reacted when you had to tell him that Tavros would not be coming back, and it gave Dave every right for being tense.

 

~

_"Where's Tav, my bro?" Gamzee asks, a big, wide grin spreading across his face._

_" . . . Tavros isn't coming, Gamzee," Dave manages to find the words, shattering the glass of the air as the kids nearby pause to register the information they had just been given._

_" . . . WHAT?!" Gamzee bellows, stepping towards Dave with fists balled, leering over him. Dave backs up quite a bit, retracting like a puppy who's been kicked many times before._

_"I'm so sorry, bro. I tried everything I could, it's just--" he tries to apologize, but Gamzee's fist rises._

_"Sorry? SORRY?! YOU'RE MOTHERFUCKING SORRY?! SORRY ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH!" Gamzee swings his fist but Aradia catches it, forcing him backwards._

_"Gamzee, stop this instant! You need to calm down! It wasn't Dave's fault; there were just too many of them!" Gamzee stares down Dave but acquiesces, backing off from the confrontation._

_"Don't you motherfucking call me bro again, you got that? You ain't my bro, and you aren't going to get away with this."_

~

 

Gamzee Makara was a frightening guy, but you were sure that even he had the capacity to calm down. He just needed some time to get over the trauma of losing someone very important to him.

Ever since it happened, the cafeteria has served the good supplies only, treating everyone for the next few days in the abundance of luxury items that you thought you might never get to taste again. For lunch today it was ramen noodles and a pudding cup, and Dave had been given the luxury of having as many juice boxes as he pleased, which, to the camp's relief, wasn't that many. You sat next to him this time instead of across from him, your bodies barely brushing up against each other as the gap between you two became nonexistent.

"Enjoying your apple juice, Dave?" you inquire of him mid-meal.

"Mhm, it's great," he mutters, twirling his ramen around with a fork absent-mindedly.

"Dave, please don't do this, I don't--" you begin, but he cuts you off.

"Relax, Jade, I'm not shutting you out. I'm just trying to think, is all. It's been tough."

"It has, hasn't it? I know this is kind of stupid for me to say, but I'd like to try to stay positive. I think we'll be just fine, okay? I mean, it's going to be hard, of course, but I have no doubt in my mind that we can pull through this," you offer him your best attempt at a smile. He smirks back slightly and you know you've won him over.

"I guess you're right. I've just been on edge ever since we got back, because of . . . you know," he breathes.

"He'll be fine, I know it. He just needs some time to adjust."

"No, you don't know Gamzee, Jade," he states, "He doesn't just 'get over it'. He's not like you or me or even Tavros. He lets things simmer, and considering the offense I had already committed when I got his booze taken away and he had to sober up, as well, let's just say that this was supposed to be a moment that would have made him over it. That is, until I royally fucked up." You place a hand on his shoulder, moving your face to meet his line of sight.

"Dave, he shouldn't have been your responsibility. You're just one person, and you had no idea the zombies were going to come out and attack. You just didn't know."

"Yeah, but I had plenty of time to save you while it was happening," he remarks. You raise your brow.

"Are you saying you regret saving me?" He groans and presses his face into his hands, heaving a sigh.

"Fuck, that's not what I meant. I just mean that if I was able to save you, then I should've been able to save him as well."

"I don't think those things are exclusively mutual, Dave. I think you need to quit over thinking it. Just try to breathe, and think of some of the techniques Rose talked about. Challenge those negative thoughts," you advise him. He turns toward you.

"That just sounds like hippie shit." You shake your head, folding your arms across your chest.

"It's not hippie shit, Dave, it's psychology. If you want to get through this, you've got to help yourself, too."

"You're right, I've gotta do that. It's just difficult," he sighs.

"I know, Dave. I know it is, but you've got me here, and you've got Rose and John and the entire camp, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that we can make it through this."

"Thanks, Harley."

He gives you that smirk that you know all too well, and you feel your chest tighten. You were going to have to talk to him about some things, and even though shit was hectic and emotions were running high, you still needed to get it off your chest, to at least have him acknowledge it. You think that tomorrow would be a good day to start.

 

**Jade: Be Dave Strider.**

 

You are now Dave Strider, and three whole days have passed since the supply mission incident. Right now you are extremely on high alert, and you feel as though you just need someone to talk to in order to calm you down, someone you trust can keep you level headed during all this mess. You pound on the door of the girls' cabin, praying that she's inside.

"Cherries?" Terezi opens the door, greeting you with her ever keen nose sniffing the air around you.

"That's me, TZ," you answer her, a slight tug upward playing at the corners of your mouth.

"What can I do for a kid like you?"

"Excuse me, Terezi, I'll take this one," Jade brushes past her, meeting you at the door. "You wanna talk about something?"

"Yeah, do you maybe want to go take a walk?" She nods her head and pulls on her boots quickly before departing, muttering a goodbye to Terezi. She waits to say anything to you until you've made it to the placid, peaceful lake, the sun setting in the sky as darkness falls about. You stop just before the dock, not walking on it, but admiring it alone from afar. Many of your most personal conversations have been held here, and you'd rather not focus on the lake for once.

"So, you have something you need to talk to me about?"

"I do," you answer her. "I just needed someone to be around because I've been stressing out big time. Some people were saying that they heard Gamzee talking about how he had it out for me now, and I just couldn't stay in my cabin anymore. I dunno, I guess I just wanted to be reassured because I know you've been saying that it probably seems that way because it's impacted him, as well, and that he's just trying to cope."

"Well, as I said before, it probably is just that. I know he seems a little scary and everything, but you'll see that the more time passes by, the more he'll be able to settle and everyone else along with it. You haven't heard anyone blame you, have you?" she queries.

"Mhm. I mean, they're silent whispers about how I probably did it to get revenge on Gamzee for being mad at me, but those are just the stupid kids like Reggie who don't know jack shit and just want to fuck with me." She reaches over and grabs your hand, shivers running up your spine as her cool, callous fingers meet your flesh. She stares up at you with her wide, moss eyes and you capture this moment in your brain, because this is the most beautiful you've ever seen her before, and you can't help but think that even though she isn't the perfect person you once claimed her to be, she's the picture of everything you wish you were. She still manages to put up with you and will call you out on your shit at any time of day, and she is always there for anyone she meets. This girl, this _woman_ , is motherfucking Jade Harley, and even if you can't ever be with her again, sharing her company and her friendship was good enough for you.

"You're a good person, Dave, don't you forget that. You tried to save Tavros, I saw you do it, so don't ever take those comments to heart because they're deceitful lies from people who think they know best. You can be a hero, Dave, I've seen it. You may not think of yourself that way, but I know you. I know you're one of the most sincere people I've ever met, and I'm glad I met you." Her delicate rose lips curve upward into a smile and it's one that you've missed quite dearly, buck teeth and all. Her smile then drops from her face and she releases her hand, making space between the two of you as she shies away.

"Is there something wrong, Harley?" you ask her, furrowing your brows.

"Uh, there's something I've been meaning to talk about to you."

 _Shit_ , you think to yourself, _I hate those words strung together in that order. She's probably going to tell me that she knows I like her and that she doesn't feel the same way._

"Um, of course, shoot away," you feel your throat tighten up as you strain your voice a bit, unintentionally.

"Dave, what I've been meaning to tell you is that I still lo--"

Right as Jade is about to finish her sentence you hear shots fire in the distance, followed by screams. You instinctively pull Jade close to you as you try to discern what's just happened.

" _Shit, what the fuck was that_ ," you whisper.

"I don't know, but I don't like it," she whispers back, her heart pounding against your chest.

"I know it's probably the stupidest thing I can think of, but I think we need to get to my cabin so I can get my sword. There should be a gun in there for you somewhere and afterward, if the situation is dire, we can just run."

She nods her head in agreement and the two of you grip onto each other's hands tightly, creeping slowly back to the main parts of camp. You hear someone yell, a deep, masculine voice, followed by several more shots and more screaming. As the camp comes in to sight you see several bodies of campers you know on the ground, and you gather quickly that they are no longer in the land of the living as crimson pools of blood collect around them. You hear Jade start to shriek and cover her mouth in time, shaking your head.

"I know it's difficult, but we need to keep quiet. If some guy is out there shooting people, we can easily draw attention to ourselves."

She moves her head up and down to signal that she understands and you remove your hand, quickly pulling her to the back of the boys cabin, climbing in through the door as silently as possible. You shuffle around as noiselessly as possible, searching for your sword as she seeks to find a gun. You are both in luck as you find your sword and she a rifle, and you sneak up beside the window to see if anyone is out there.

"COME ON, DAVE STRIDER! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU, MY MOTHERFUCKING BRO? ARE YOU GONNA LET MORE OF THESE KIDS DIE BECAUSE YOU'RE A YELLOW BASTARD WHO GETS OFF ON PEOPLE DYING?!"

There's a hitch in your breath as you realize what the whole thing is about, what you knew you should've been wary about but never even suspected something like this would happen.

" _Gamzee_." You pull Jade by the arm and stand by the door, turning her to face you. Her eyes widen when she realizes what you're going to do.

"No, Dave! You can't do this to me, _please_ ," she begs, glossy moss orbs brimming with salty tears.

"I've got to, Jade. You've got to promise me that you'll get out of here and run, okay? I'll distract him long enough so that you'll get by," you tell her.

"No," her lip trembles, "I'll go with you, just let me go with you." You shake your head, hands clasping the sides of her face as you press her forehead against hers. "Just promise me you'll make it out alive."

" _Jade_ ," you breathe, but you're cut off by Gamzee shouting some more as more shots ring through the air.

"THERE GOES ANOTHER ONE, STRIDER! HOW MANY MORE IS IT GONNA TAKE FOR YOU TO GIVE YOUR MOTHERFUCKING SELF UP?!"

"Jade, please just go." You place a kiss upon her forehead and then release her, watching as tears stream down her face. You turn to face the door, pausing for only a moment before turning it, as you step outside, you see Gamzee hovering over someone, Nepeta as it seems.

"Gamzee, stop it," you speak up as you meet him on the earth to level the playing field. He turns to face you and you almost wretch when you see his face, scratched up with blood smeared across the clown paint, a sadistic grin upon his face.

"Ah, motherfuckin' Dave Strider finally decided to make an appearance." He raises the gun, pointing it at you, but doesn't pull the trigger quite yet.

"Gamzee, look, man, we can talk about this. Tavros wouldn't have wanted this," you try to reason with him. He begins to laugh, a maniacal sort of chuckle escaping his lips.

"You don't know what the fuck Tavros wanted. YOU KILLED HIM!" he growls, releasing the safety.

"Whoa, man, c'mon. Let's just talk first before we get insane or anything." Gamzee closes the gap between the two of you, walking slowly and you watch as he begins to tighten his finger on the trigger. "RUN, JADE! RUN!" you shout to her, and you hear the porch door swing open as you raise your sword and a breeze races past you and then a gunshot goes off as you thrust your sword forward, and then

_pain pain pain PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN SCREAMING PAIN BLOOD PAIN BLOOD PAIN BLOOD OH GOD SO MUCH BLOOD SO MUCH OF MY BLOOD SO MUCH OF HIS BLOOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD._

You hear muffled screams as you and Gamzee drop to the ground. You release your grip on your sword and the side of your face meets hard dirt. You try to touch the place on your abdomen where you were shot but you're paralyzed and you can't move and the world is growing darker and darker and darker and spinning so goddamn much and you can't help but think that

_Jade I'm so fucking sorry I failed you Rose I'm so fucking sorry I failed you John I'm so fucking sorry I failed you I'm sorry I'm sorry I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY . . ._

Then the world goes dark.

 

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===>

 

You remember darkness, and you remember nothing at all.

Then you remember light, and you remember to breathe.

 

Your eyes shoot open, launching yourself from a period of darkness to complete luminescence. You gasp for air, disoriented and dazed as you try to shield yourself from the light peering upon you, cold metal stinging your skin beneath you as if you are on an operating table.

 

"Hello, soldier."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was intense! That was certainly a fun chapter to write and definitely not heartbreaking in any way nope nope nope and there are certainly no more chapters like that nope nope nope ((also I know that the song is cut short I didn't feel like formatting two more verses and these were the relevant ones, anyway))  
> Okay, so this is where the story sort of splits in a way, and you'll see why in the next chapter. I'm gonna take a small hiatus again because I only have about five chapters plus an epilogue left to write and then I'm probably going to rework the next couple of chapters really quickly and then I'll be back to my every other day posting schedule, up until it finishes! There's about a total of 31 chapters plus the epilogue I talked about, and I just finished the 26th chapter, if that tells you anything. I'm so excited/sad that it's coming to an end, but honestly this is the longest thing I've written ever and it will feel nice to have completed it.  
> As always, thanks for reading, and feel free to comment and give kudos because that's always nice!!! :)


	18. Chapter 18

**Jade Harley: Run.**

 

You can barely feel your limbs anymore and your chest is just so numb with pain but you keep running because if you don't keep running something might happen to you and . . . . And he wouldn't have wanted that for you. He would've wanted you to keep going because you're Jade Harley, and you're super strong and resilient and you can do anything. You try repeating that mantra in your head, but even you know that's a load of bullshit. You feel absolutely weak, and you're ready to just break down crying right then and there.

You loved him. You loved him and you didn't get to tell him that and now he's dead. 

You didn't even want to  _begin_ to think about John and Rose, either.

You feel your feet buckle underneath you as you trip over a tree root, your palms scraping against the hard ground.

"Shit!" you curse, wiping your hands onto your pants. You look down and notice they are stained with red streaks, and then that your hands are bleeding profusely. You rip a couple of pieces of fabric off of your shirt and tie them around each hand as a bandage, pushing yourself off the ground in order to get ready to run again. You find that you can't, however, and so you rest your back against a tree, trying your best to catch your breath. You feel sorrow well up in your chest again, and suddenly you are crying, the sobs becoming uncontrollable as you draw your legs to your chest, resting your face into your knees.

" _Why'd you have to be so stupid and heroic?_ " you whisper, your heart stinging with pain. " _Why'd you have to go and die on me?_ "

You hear a crack of a twig and you're on alert all of a sudden, your gun in your hand as you quickly rise to your feet, pointing it in the direction of the noise. At first glance there's nothing there, but then an armless corpse comes meandering after you and you pull the trigger several times, aiming directly for the head. Eventually the thing falls to the ground and your breathing becomes uneven again. You slump back onto the ground, and as your head spins you think that perhaps it'd be alright if you just laid down and took a nap.

 

**Rose: Remove yourself from your hiding place.**

 

You hid yourself very well in the closet area of the Rec, and you didn't intend to leave for quite awhile. Even when it was silent you knew that was no time for moving, because at any one point something might sneak up on you and attack you. Something, or Gamzee in this case. You ended up falling asleep, and when you woke up it was morning again, and the whole place was silent, and the lingering scent of smoke filled your nostrils.

You remove yourself from the clothes closet, dusting off your pants as soon as you're out. You truly hope that you won't see anything gruesome out there, especially nothing gruesome in relation to John, Dave, or Jade. You don't think you could handle it if any of them were hurt. Or worse.

You silently creep out of the Rec building, scanning the area through the screen door until you decide the coast is clear. There's nothing or no one hanging around when you get out, and you decide immediately that the entire place is deserted. You still call out, however, hoping that you might get some sort of response.

"Joooohhhnn? Daaaaaaaaveeee? Jaaaaaaaaade? . . . Is anyone out there?" You're still met with silence, and you know for a fact that you're alone. You notice in the center between the Rec and the cabins are bloodstains, ones without any bodies to their name. ( _You're relieved by that conjecture._ ) Unfortunately for you, your heart drops when you see a sword sitting in the middle, a katana most importantly.

A blade without an owner.

You feel yourself well up with intense pain, and you try so desperately to hold the tears back but you can't breathe oh my god it hurts so fucking badly--

" _Dave_ ," you mutter softly as you crumple to the ground, not caring if the blood stains your skin and clothes or not. You pick up the weapon in your hands, studying it slightly before wiping it off on your pants, making the blade (somewhat) shiny again. You take a couple minutes to calm down then, bringing your breaths back to an even pace. You rub the tears away from your face and then push yourself off from the ground not long afterward, finding the ability to keep yourself composed once again as you begin walking, not even turning back for a second. Fuck gathering supplies. Fuck holding onto the past. Fuck dying. You were determined more than anything to keep on going, and that meant that you were going to start fresh and new.

Welcome to the real world, Rose Lalonde.

 

**John: Do whatever it is that you do.**

 

You're honestly not sure what you're going to do right now, because you had a zero percent chance of finding Dave or Jade or Rose ever again, except by pure chance. You wish you had tried to search for any of them when you heard the shots ring through the air, but your instinct, like the rest of the camp, was to get the fuck out of there as quickly as possible. You toss your hammer back and forth in your hands and heave a sigh.

How long have you been walking now? You're not quite sure, and it's made even worse by the fact that the hot sun is beating down on you, causing you to have buckets of sweat roll down your forehead. This is one of those instances in which you wish you didn't have the Harley genetic trait for naturally dark hair, because you feel like you could keel over and die of heatstroke at any one moment. You keep urging yourself forward, because you had to get somewhere. You weren't really sure where, you were just going.

It had run in and out of your mind, but it finally settles into your brain that you won't be able to see Dave again, to get on each other's nerves and yet be the best bros in the world with each other all the time. You won't get to hang out with Jade and get her to explain all of the fauna to you while the both of you push your glasses up onto the bridge of your noses at the same time because you're absolute dorks. You'll miss getting to see Rose, the most intelligent, most amazing girl in the entire world who never stops making your stomach do somersaults when she's around and dances around you like some sort of beautiful reverie you've crafted inside your mind. Your skin wouldn't be able to meet hers again, wouldn't be able to feel delicate porcelain warm your entire system.

You feel yourself weigh down with exhaustion from walking so goddamn much but you know you'll end up somewhere, you just know it. It proves to be worse when all you see around you is sand for miles around, boiling you up and suffocating you. You think that you're stupid for daring to keep going without stopping, but the more you walk, the less you're able to really think about your situation, and the better you feel. You begin panting, your throat runs dry, and you can no longer support the weight of keeping your hand containing the hammer upward, proven when your arm falls limp to your side, your limbs becoming numb increasingly with each step. Your eyelids begin to droop, and you think that you might see something off in the distance, if only you finish this stretch, if only you push yourself through this. Then your legs stop moving and you're stuck in one spot, your mind spinning with pain and confusion as you try to get your bearings.

"It's lights out for you, buddy," you hear behind you. You turn towards the voice and suddenly a bat comes into view, and you remember the crack of metal against your skull, and then, as if like a snuffed candle, your whole world grows dark. All you can think of is the name 'John', and the strange image of an angel twirling through your mind.

 

**Dave: Sit.**

 

"He's just been sitting there like that, not uttering a single, goddamn word! We have no way of knowing whether or not he's just been through trauma, or if he was even mute to begin with. He just remains like that in that bed, legs draped over the side as he stares out the fucking window."

"Well, you should know that traumatic experiences take a while to get through. There's no way he's gonna be ready to start training so soon, not while it's been so fresh in his mind. You need to give him awhile to recover."

"Shit, Shirley, don't you think I know that?! I need soldiers, and if we get this kid cleaned up he'll be ready to serve. We need soldiers."

You weren't sure much of what you had to offer this place, wherever the hell you were. You weren't much of a fighter, especially since you took a bullet to the chest and nearly died. You didn't have much of anything left in your life. Your friends were gone, the love of your life was gone, and the worst part is you may never get to see her or them again. It pains you to have Jade's bloodcurdling scream be the last thing running through your mind, be your only remaining memory of her before you practically got yourself killed. You also had no idea what happened to Rose or John and that put you in a horrible state of worry, and you just couldn't find the words or the answers to anything. The words would get caught on your tongue, so you kept them to yourself, staring absentmindedly out the window or maybe even having a staring contest with the floor. The less you talked right now, the better.

"--Come on, it's really not--"

"I wish you'd quit arguing with me--"

You wish they'd quit talking about you like it was their own lives they were making decisions for. You may not be saying anything, but you wouldn't hesitate to remind them that you can damn well decide for yourself. You would remind them, but you don't even know what it is you want anymore. It was like a hole had been ripped into your chest ( _literally_ ) and then you were left with absolutely nothing. You didn't like that.

No, you didn't like that at all. Fuck this shit.

" _Shut up_." Shirley and General Whatshisface turn towards you when you say that, mouths agape as they patiently await your next set of words to ooze out of your mouth, like the other ones were worth it and some sort of a goddamn miracle to them. " . . . I'll do it."

" _What?_ " Shirley asks, dumbfounded.

"What?" the general guy repeats back, his mouth curving upward into a smug, shit-eating grin.

"You heard me. I'll do it. I'll play soldier for you or whatever. Sign me up for the war because I'm about to go Mulan on their asses." They stare at you again and you remember that these two adults wouldn't know jack shit about one of the greatest fucking disney movies to ever exist. "Just . . . what do you want me to do? I'll do it." The general steps over next to you, his smug grin still apparent upon his face as he clasps you on the back with one hand and then extends his hand out to you with another. You contemplate shaking it, and in the end you do because if this guy was going to be your superior, you certainly didn't want to get on his bad side. Not a good idea.

"I'm General Washburn."

"Dave Strider," you greet back before he releases his grip from yours. You jump off the hospital bed, bare feet touching the cold, white tiles of the floor. "Alright, I'm ready. Let's do this bitch."

You're going to be okay. You could deal with this. You're fucking Dave Strider, and you're going to be okay. You say that to yourself several times in your mind, but that's the easy part. The hard part was going to be convincing the rest of yourself that that was true. 

Fuck apocalypses. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so this is just a small, added in chapter because I had written the next few chapters a month or two ago and I decided there needed to be a chapter like this in between. But that being said,  
> Notice anything different about the fic? That's right, it officially has a set number of chapters, which means I have completed it! (*hold for applause*) Anyway, yeah I finished the whole thing at six in the morning yesterday, which means I can guarantee that the updates will be on a set schedule for the rest of it. I still have to do dumb formatting and I have some stuff that I want to edit, but I can get any of that done in between days, since I'll be operating on an every other day schedule. Starting today I will actually have two chapters--this mini chapter and then a full-length chapter that will be posted later tonight (for me, I don't know what time you're operating on.) By this part I started getting lazy with the word count, so I'm down about a thousands words for most chapters, but they're still long in the respect that they're 4,000 words long, for the most part.  
> So, to reiterate, starting today, and then Sunday, and then Tuesday, and then you get the gist, I'll be updating the remaining 14 chapters. Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll like the rest of it! :)


	19. Chapter 19

FIVE YEARS LATER.

 

**Be Jade Harley.**

 

Your name is Jade Harley, and boy, are you in desperate need of a coffee break.

You've spent way too many nights cooped up in your lab that your brain is exhausted, but it's not as if it hasn't happened before. You practically eat, sleep, and breathe experimenting and trying to sort out the small problems that crop up in your sector. You weren't any sort of specialized scientist here, but rather a generalized one, able to cater to most of the needs of the people living here. You were here to further better the community and find alternate ways to keep surviving.

Your eyes fall on the calendar on the wall and with a hitch in your breath you remember what occasion it is. You refrain immediately from all work, pulling open your drawer and finding the little red candle you've saved over the years, a stub of what it once was but still fully functionally. You remove the box of matches along with it and take out a match, striking it across the coarse sandpaper a couple of times before the tip ignites with flame. You hold it to the tiny wick of the candle, lighting it with succession before shaking it out in order to douse the fire.

Five years. _Five years._

Your heart still aches with longing, loss, and loneliness, feelings that you've become quite familiar with now. You've tried to deal with it but every once in a while it crops up in your mind, an annoying pest that seems to never want to leave you alone. That's why you took to solace in science: it would always be there for you, would always be your friend. You heave a sigh of exhaustion, resting your elbow on the table and leaning your chin upon your hand.

Dave Strider had been dead for five whole years, and you weren't even sure if Rose or John were alive either, your bets placed on the glass half-empty side of the coin. It was a numbing experience at first, losing your first love and best friend right in front of your eyes. When you came to the realization that you would never see your only living family member again and best girlfriend, you let yourself dip down into a dark time, indeed. You were lucky to have Sector S because the people you had come to know saw you were suffering and helped you right away, and for that you were glad. Sure, no one would ever come close to replacing John or Rose, and realistically you were never going to love anyone the same way you had come to love Dave, but you like to think that they're somewhere up in the sky looking down on you, glad that you're still surviving. You'd also like to believe that what you're doing is surviving, but sometimes, you're not even sure of that.

 

**Jade: Shoot the crap out of that target.**

 

"Jesus, Jade, would you take it a little easy on that rifle? I don't want you getting too trigger happy over there."

You've shot several rounds of holes into that target for practice, each and everyone hitting dead center with immense accuracy. You were angry today, and there was zero chance you were going to settle down unless you shot the crap out of anything that was painted with bright, red concentric circles. You had a lot of days like this, where you'd go through periods of absolute patheticness which then turned into bitterness and rage. You had content days, as well, but you seem to remember the latter more often.

"I'll be fine, Jake, just give me a little while with it, okay? It'll help relieve the aggression so that I don't go about shooting everyone else's heads off around here," you tell him. He gives you a pointed look that makes you drop your gun to your side as you hold up your right hand. "Relax, James Bond, it was a joke."

"Have you tried actually talking to someone about this? I dunno, it just seems a little--"

"Out of the norm? I know, I know. I realize this, Jake. Just give me this day, okay? I'm always more on edge around this time of year because of . . . yeah," you breathe, attempting to focus your mind again. "I'm calm, I promise."

"You know, you can talk to me, if you think that will be of any help," he offers you, and you shake your head.

"No, but thanks, though. I think it's just something I need work out by myself. Eventually I'll get to a point where I won't get mad anymore and just smile and reminisce about the glory zombie days but for now I'm mad as hell and I want to shoot the fuck out of another target. And I'd like to do it alone, as well, okay?"

Jake eyes you for a moment, trying to distinguish whether or not he thinks you'll be safe enough not to put the barrel in your mouth if he left (you would never even consider the thought) and he decides in the end that perhaps time alone is good for you.

"Alright, I'll let you have this. But the moment you've cooled down you need to get back to the lab. We're trying to kick this virus' ass and we can't do it if we don't have our head scientist on the job. I'd like to at least get a head on it before the other sector brings in their uninfected group. I have a feeling bringing in people who have been around it for awhile won't be such a great idea. They've had time to let it cultivate, so to speak."

"Yeah, but that makes them the perfect group for testing," you grin, raising your brow at him. "The more we work around these people who have been the sort of crockpot for Influenza Z, the quicker we'll be to developing the vaccine." A smile forms across his face and he tucks his pistol away into its case, locking it up as he salutes you. "Later, Jade." He abandons you in the shooting range, leaving you to only your thoughts, your bullets, and your best friend, a rifle.

"Ugh, one of these days I'm not going to be so sad and pathetic and realize actual friends are better than a gun," you groan aloud.

It was hard being Jade Harley, sometimes. Most days you could hide yourself away in your lab with a pot of warm coffee and a bunch of glass slides with such things as paramecium. Other days you just wanted to get out of that suffocated place, maybe even this whole sector, and just run, run for as long as you can. Then you remember that you're done running. The last time you had to run it was because you were told to, and you ran away from him when you saw him--

_No, you're not going to think about that again._

You wipe away stray tears from your face and lift your gun up, firing a shot right into the barely visible center of the target.

_Bullseye._

 

**Dave: Be a soldier.**

 

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and you're ready to kick some zombie ass. A day in the life of Dave Strider was anything but a daunting task, and you were certainly glad to live another day. Well, maybe it was a little daunting sometimes when you thought of things that you have pushed way, far down into the recesses of your mind, but most days you did not think of them. You had all you needed in this world . . . you've convinced yourself, at least.

"So, whaddya think we're gonna do today? I was betting it was going to be along the lines of 'slaughter a million zombies' or even drill training, but I was informed it was neither," Roxy says to you, lacing her boots up while seated next to you on the bench. You finish securing your armored vest, making sure it won't undo or fall off at any one point.

"Eh, I'm not sure. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's important as shit." It occurs to you that Roxy reminds you a little of your sister and that might be part of the reason you keep her around, but she's a good friend to you, too, so you can't complain too much.

"Isn't it always? When are we gonna have a day off? It's always, "Roxy, go shoot this zombie," or, "Roxy, go run a five mile lap around the perimeter". It's never, "Roxy, go see if you can down ten bottles of booze"," she rants, flailing her arms about.

"Yeah, true. I'd rather not touch any alcohol, though. I promised a friend I'd stay clean, and lemme tell you, five years to boot and counting," you confess. She slaps you on the back, a wide smile plastered about her face.

"Good for you, Davey! I would say the same thing for me, except whoops, I already had a few drops last night!" You grin at her, shaking your head at your friend's silliness.

"That's how it always seems to go, huh? Well, we might as well go haul ass, otherwise we're gonna get our asses handed to us on a silver fucking platter."

"You always had a way with words, Strider."

The two of you rise from the bench, making your way to the very training grounds you've spent your years living and breathing on. Your sector was the main sector in which militarization happens, you being one of the lucky many to have been here for quite some time. Other sectors tended to specialize in things that helped other sectors--sometimes people from your group were sent over to Sector V to fend off a zombie attack, sometimes people came from Sector S to help with an energy crisis or medical issues or other various things. You were at the heart of the survival center of America, and _boy_ , were you guys trying your hardest not to die, that's for sure.

Many other people lived here who weren't trained, as a part of your community. You actually accumulated a tremendous amount of people who were still putting up with the trials of zombie rural America, rerouted into whatever sector had the capacity to house them. It worked that these sectors were constructed relatively fast as the outbreak began, so these communities were ready for anyone who stumbled upon them (or were lucky enough to be found and brought back to the land of the living.)

You and Roxy find your positions in line, grateful that no debriefing had begun for the day yet. You find your position on the front line in between a big burly guy nicknamed 'Boxcars' and a sort of shrimpy looking guy you can't seem to put a name to. You make sure you've tucked away your dog tags and then stand yourself up straight when Sergeant (his preferred title) comes front and center. No one speaks a word as he delivers the news of your job for the day.

"Alright, troop, as you've probably heard from some of your cohorts, we indeed are neither going to be shooting up some zombies or doing any sort of training. Today we're going to be delivering the members of our community who have _not_ fallen ill as of late. We've gotten news that we have an influenza on our hands, one that has been proven to be fatal." A murmur breaks out among the troop as the word 'fatal' crosses open ears. "Wait just a second! Before you go making any rash conclusions, I want you to know that the best minds of Sector C, H, and S have already started trying to figure out this bug and they are well on their way to getting it completed. I'm going to have to split each of you into sections, and each section will be delivering citizens deemed healthy enough to to visit each of these sectors. We've already cleared and quarantined the healthy citizens and once I assign you to your group, you will be boarding the bus that will safely transport these guys. Does everyone understand?"

"Yes, sir!" rings the echo of soldiers.

"Good. Now when I call each name, you will report to the responding officer. Heading to Sector C with Officer Hill is going to be . . . " someone hands him a clipboard with papers attached, presumably the lists, "Jesse A., Marcus B., Lee D., Natasha H., Cyrus I., Archibald I., Louise J., and Roxy L." The listed people march off towards their reporting officer and you notice Roxy salute you as she joins them, following them off towards their bus.

"Next off going to Sector H with Officer Lyle is Marina M., Jordan M., Gale N., Cassidy O., Carmen P., Elijah P., Paul R., and Rocky R." The group follows along their reporting officer, leaving the rest of the nine of you to Sector S. "The rest of you will follow Officer Smith here and you will report to Sector S. Your main priority is to get those people to that sector. Your return is TBD, seeing as I'm not certain how long you will be gone for. As long as you make it to Sector S, then your mission will have been successful. Alright, go on now."

You make your way over to Officer Smith who then leads your group to one of those buses that you might take long field trips on when you were a kid. You're handed a gun as per usual and load onto the bus, taking a front seat next to another person you've become good friends with, Grant.

"You ready to go to Sector S?" he asks as soon as you seat yourself, jabbing you in the elbow.

"Eh, it's not much of a dream of mine to go there. I'd rather stay more centralized than head over to somewhere far like that. Did they say how long it's going to be?"

"I'd assume like fourteen hours or so. Basically we've gotta put up with these guys until fourteen hours are over."

"You can deal with them. I, however, will lay my head against this window, drifting off into fucking la la land where I can get some rest for once," you tell him, doing as you said. Fourteen hours was long, and you were not about to put up with pissy passengers. Ignoring people was what you do best.

 

**Jade Harley: Prepare the subjects for immense testing.**

 

Sometimes you really do feel like an evil scientist. Prepare the subjects for testing? They're people who are unaware of what their presence means to your sector! As far as they're concerned, their here because they're not infected (yet) and they needed to be relocated. So as far as science goes, however, they're the best kind of subjects. Sure, you'd think the ones that have already got the virus would be the likely candidates, but you've got enough of those here as it is. Getting them from another sector would prove what it is exactly you're dealing with.

"Alright, you got your gloves and your mask?" Jake asks as he slips on his non-latex gloves. You reach into your lab coat and extract them, pulling the gloves over your hands and slipping the mask over your mouth and nose.

"Got 'em," you wink at him. "Do I look hot now?" He chuckles at you, the corner of his eyes crinkling as he does so.

"Of course. Now let's get going. They're unloading everyone right now."

You follow along behind Jake as you make your way out of the lab to the open air, the sun beating down on you as a contrast to this cooler weather. It wasn't very cold today, but you certainly weren't going to be leaving your apartment without maybe a sweater or tights underneath your skirt.

Outside of the large, white building that is your laboratory you see a mass of people all huddled together like a flock of sheep, confused and unaware of their surroundings. One of your people, Matt, gathers them together and then lines them off so he can send them to the refugee building where they're going to be quartered for as long as you need. As he gets them into line they trudge off, and it's sort of reminiscent of a elementary school class going to lunch. The analogy allows a small smile to tug at your lips playfully with amusement. You turn your attention back towards the group of soldiers that ensured their safety on the way over, and your heart drops a million miles straight down into the center of the Earth.

_No, no it can't be . . . I saw him . . . I WATCHED him . . ._

Across the yard stands a man, much taller and leaner than what you remember, but with vanilla blond locks and ridiculous sunglasses and a smile that would bring you to your knees. Yet this can't be him, it just can't be him because for the last five years you've been under the impression that he's been dead. You want so desperately to just run up to him and throw your arms around him but at the same time you just can't believe that man standing there is him. You silently pull your gloves and mask off and stick them into your lab coat pocket as you calmly stroll up to him. He doesn't notice you at first, still caught up in conversation with the person across from him, but when you mutter aloud,

" _Dave_ ,"

he turns toward you, his expression dropping immediately as his mouth hangs agape. You stop before you can fully reach him, a sizable amount of space placed in between the two of you as you both struggle for the right words to speak.

" _Jade_ ," he mumbles softly, disbelief distorting into a sort of pained longingness for someone that you can only speculate he thought to be lost forever. You know this because you're feeling exactly the same thing.

"Dave," you echo again, only louder this time as your lip trembles. You feel streams of tears trail down your face as you slowly reach your hand out towards his cheek, breathless as it lands softly onto the very spot it had graced many years before. You crumple to the ground quickly after that, losing all feeling in your legs and arms, slumping down into a hot, teary mess. You don't look back up at him, only sob profusely like an idiot in front of a bunch of people you don't know. Your lips can't seem to find any words as your tongue becomes a jumbled mass of muscle, losing all prior knowledge of how to formulate speech.

"Jade, are you okay?"

You feel gentle hands pressed against your biceps and you glance upward at him, noticing that he is crouched in front of you, his forehead creased with worry. You shake your head slightly at him, stifling a sob.

"I-I th-thought you were d-d-dead!" He presses you against his chest then, nestling his face into your hair.

"Shhhh," he coos, stroking the back of your head rhythmically. It takes you quite a few minutes in order to calm down enough, but when you do, he helps you to your feet again. "Um, do you have somewhere we can sit and talk together alone?" You nod your head, pointing to the makeshift apartment complex building not too far from your own workplace. He offers to carry you but you politefully decline, your legs are working fine enough.

He walks beside you silently, his posture much different from what you remember. It's not as slick and cool but much more structured and precise. Everything about him is different, and you know that of course it's going to be different. The last time you saw him was five years ago.

You show the way to your little section of the apartment complex, room number 314, and fish the keys out your pocket, shuffling through the many assorted hunks of metal until you find the one belonging to the door in front of you. You slide it into the lock and turn it, hearing a _click_ as it unlocks. You open the door and allow Dave to step inside first as you follow behind, shutting the door soon after.

There's not much to your little apartment, but there is enough for you: a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom, and a bedroom. You gesture for him to sit down on your black leather couch and he acquiesces as you make your way to the kitchen, removing a mug from the cupboard and running it under the faucet in order to fill it with water. You place it into the microwave and set the time for one minute and twenty seconds, hitting the start button afterward. While it heats up you search for a green tea bag, successfully locating it by the time the timer goes off. You remove the hot mug and place the tea bag into it gingerly, turning back towards Dave who has been patiently waiting on the couch the whole time.

"Do you want anything?" you ask him, and he shakes his head.

"No thanks."

You take the mug in hand and find your way back over to the couch, placing your tea onto the coffee table. You turn to face him and he you, both at a loss for words to say. It had been five whole years, and at least one of you was under the impression that the other had been dead. What was there to say?

"You look nice," he initiates conversation, clearing his throat. "I almost couldn't recognize you without your glasses."

"Oh, yeah," you breathe. "I wear contacts now, for the most part. They're a lot easier to replace than lenses." _Silence_. "Dave, how . . . . . how are you alive? I mean, I saw you _die_. I've spent the last five years thinking you've been dead, having to cut your existence out of my life, only to have you show up one day breathing and speaking like nothing had ever happened." You didn't mean to sound so harsh, but the emotions welled up inside you like a boiling pot of water. He clenches his jaw.

"I just woke up on a metal table and was told that I was going to become a soldier for Sector F. I'm still not quite sure how it happened or how they were able to find me, but they brought me back and told me that once I was up to snuff again I was going to train, and that was that. I would've looked for you, but I had no way of knowing where you had been or even if you had still been alive. I just . . . I'm really sorry, Jade." A pained expression graces his face, and you suddenly feel guilty. Realistically he wouldn't have been able to find you again, because it's not like he could give you a cellphone call and say, _"Hey, Jade, I just want you to know I'm not dead and if you wanna pick back up from where we left off before there's this great diner I just found--"_

"You don't have to be sorry, I shouldn't be mad at you. It's just . . . _five years_ ," you emphasize again. "I've been sitting here thinking that all my friends have been dead and gone and I've been," you pause for a moment, hesitating because you don't want to say it, not outright, but you proceed to do so anyway. " _So lonely_."

"I know, I've felt the same way too . . . Did you ever see Rose and John?"

"I never saw them again. I just ran and ran and ran until my legs gave out and I blacked out and then ended up at a facility sort of like this." He sits there blankly for a moment, chewing on this information before stating,

"I'll stay here with you." You shake your head at him, folding your arms across your chest.

"Absolutely not. You are _not_ going to ditch your sector all because poor, pathetic Jade Harley says she's lonely."

"No, Jade, I'm not going to ditch my sector because I take pity on you. I'm ditching my sector because I found out one of my best friends is alive and I don't want to leave her side ever again." You sit on that information for quite a bit of time, your head reeling.

"You sure you want to stay here? It's really boring and you won't have any sort of place for training and--"

"Good. I never really was tied down to being a soldier. All that training and no really time just to rest? I'll take the nerd sector in a heartbeat."

"Hey!" you exclaim, reaching over to punch him in the arm playfully. "You're just jealous 'cause our sector is cooler."

"As ever, Harley, your comebacks are on point," he chuckles. "So, I guess for the first time in five years I'd like to know: what have you been up to?"

 

**Dave: Be talked to death by Jade.**

 

And you are.

She talks and talks and talks, because even though she claims she hasn't done anything of real interest in the last five years, Jade Harley has done a million things and then some. She's been such an asset to her sector and every sector around that you had no idea she's been living right under your nose. She found an alternate power source that has traveled to every single sector there is and so much more. You always knew she was incredibly brilliant and bright and talented but this . . . Jade could always one up you, even on a bad day.

When she finally does take a breath and allows you to speak as much as you can about your time, you notice mid conversation that she has taken the liberty of falling asleep. You should've known that her endless talking would tire her, but you wanted to talk to her for as long as you could without stopping. You had missed too many moments with her and you refused to miss a moment more.

You gather the heap of sleeping girl ( _woman?_ ) in your arms and carry her to her bedroom, which, after trial and error (there are only three doors) you are able to locate. It's a simple room, with only a bedside table that she's cluttered with papers, a wardrobe stuffed with clothing, and a singular queen-sized bed. You place her onto the bed carefully so as to not disturb her, removing her shoes and placing them on the floor afterward. You attempt to pull the covers over her but she stirs from her slumber, swatting them away lazily.

"Alright, Jade, I get the picture," you whisper to her, dropping the sheets back onto the bed. As you turn to walk away you hear her mumble briefly and you shift to face her once again. She has her arms outstretched to you, fingers motioning for you to come closer to her. You shake your head, a lump forming in your throat as you gently push them away.

"No, Jade, just go to sleep." She ignores you, grasping onto your wrist and tugging it as her mossy eyes pop open hesitantly.

" _I don't want you to leave_ ," she whimpers softly, sending a pang of pain shooting through your chest.

"Okay." You give into her demands because unfortunately for you, Jade Harley has always made you weak, causing you to drop the foundation for almost every barrier you had ever raised around yourself. She knew full well that you could never just say 'no' to her, at least, not anymore.

You make your way around to the other side of the bed, crawling in beside her. When you do, she draws herself up against your chest, wrapping herself tightly around your torso and burying her face into her chest. You're not sure how to respond at first, but your hands remember her shoulders and hair as if they were an old friend and rest upon them warmly. You're suddenly aware of how much you missed her touch, her warmth, all of her.

You missed Jade Harley, and that epiphany hurt like a bitch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you can thank Legend of Korra for giving me the fabulous idea of time lapses because five year time lapses where all the characters are apart from each other always hurt so much why would they ever do that to a person  
> I am so tired, and it is amazing that I was able to keep my eyes open through all the formatting of this chapter. So, some good davejade moments in here, yes? There are more to come, for certain.  
> As always, thanks for reading! :)


	20. Chapter 20

**Jade: Wake up and apologize profusely.**

 

Your eyes pop open with a startle, the sort of morning confusion when you're trying to gather your bearings and realize that you're safely tucked away in your own bed. You also come to the realization that you're lying on top of Dave, whose mouth is hanging open as drool drips slightly from the corner of his mouth. You sit up way to quickly and squeak, cupping your own mouth in order to suppress your shock.

_You made him sleep next to you._

You curse your innate nature for wanting things to be back to the way they were before your worlds fell apart, for it wanting to pick back up from where it left off as if five years had not passed. Unfortunately, five years had passed and you and he were different people, for god's sake. As much as he had eagerly volunteered to stay with you, it was if you had only just acquired a new roommate or something, a complete stranger.

Dave Strider was a stranger to you.

He picks up on your movement right away, shifting in the bed, stretching and yawning as he pulls himself from the lull of sleep. His sunglasses are seated on the bedside table, and as his eyes flicker open you remember that you've forgotten that deep, crimson color of the irises that sparked your interest so once upon a time.

"Morning," he greets you lazily, sitting up and flinging his arms over the side of the bed.

"I'm sorry!" you squeak back before silently berating yourself in your mind.

"Jade, you don't have to be sorry. S'all good," he tries to reassure you, a smirk playfully tugging at his lips.

"I know, but I just . . . I shouldn't do that," you stress, and he eyes you from the side.

"You can do whatever you want with me." You watch as a spread of rosey pink graces his cheeks when he notices the implications of the statement. "You know, I'm here for you," he recovers instantly.

"Thanks, Dave." The room grows silent as the two of you remain on the bed on opposite sides, maintaining eye contact with the beige carpet. It was weird how both of you could be so close yet so far from each other at the same time.

"Uh, so what's the plan for today? I'm just kinda . . . here now," he resumes conversation awkwardly.

"Oh my gosh, I forgot that I need to be in the laboratory! Ugh, I just let myself get all caught up in seeing you again that I forgot I have other priorities too," you whine. "What about you? Shouldn't you tell your little group or troop or whatever what you're up to? I mean, I hope the term AWOL doesn't apply now . . . " He jumps up immediately, then, his dog tags flying out from his shirt.

"Shit shit shit motherfucking shit! I forgot about my goddamn job!" he curses, scrambling to put his shoes on. "Look, Jade, I gotta--" you grin as he puts the wrong shoe on the wrong foot.

"I get it, you gotta go. Don't worry about it and get out of here you goof." He smirks as he finishes lacing up his boots, grabbing his vest from the ground.

"Aye aye, cap'n." He sprints out of your apartment then, disappearing from the room of your life like he always seems to do. Vintage Dave Strider, indeed.

You remember that you need to get ready and rush yourself to your bathroom with a towel in hand, stripping and stepping into the shower, uncaring of the cool water raining on your skin. Warm water was a luxury that you were able to obtain, but even you knew that reservation was always best.

You're as quickly out as you are in and your not even worried about running bare across your living room as you make your way back into your room. You shuffle through the wardrobe, manifesting fresh clothing (clothing that makes you a little more flattering, but you wouldn't tell anyone else that), a black dress paired with black tights and work oriented heels. You slip your coat afterward, put on deodorant and perfume, then breeze out of the door towards the lab, promising yourself a cup of crappy coffee from the breakroom.

You scan your I. D. and are welcomed inside, rushing to your designated office and sliding into your rolling computer chair. You type away restlessly at the keyboard, getting yourself back on track.

"Hmm, I smell lavender," a voice appears at your doorway. You turn to find Jake standing in the open frame, a suspicious look about his face. "You're late."

"Oh, hey, Jake," you smile nervously. "Yeah, I slept in a bit, late." You take a sip of water from the bottle resting on the desk.

"I'm guessing it was with that soldier that came in with the group from Sector F. That was a bit fast, don't you think?" he waggles his eyebrows. You accidentally spit out your sip of water, capping it and placing it back on the table afterward. You wipe your mouth on your sleeve, feeling the heat rise to your cheeks.

"That's not what it was!" you exclaim, before deadpanning. "You remember that friend I told you got killed all those years ago?"

"Yeah, what about him?"

"That was him." His smug look drops immediately, brow furrowing with confusion.

"But how--"

"He doesn't know exactly how they were able to," you tell him. "He just said he remembers waking up on a metal table and being told that he was going to be a soldier. Nothing much else." He's silent as he digests this information, responding a minute later.

"I'm glad you found him, Jade. I know he'll make you happy, for sure." His gaze softens as he leans into the door frame, crossing his legs and shoving his hands into his pockets. "Of course, he could also satisfy quite a few of your needs--"

"JAKE!!!" you screech, throwing the water bottle at him. He dodges it and erupts into a peal of laughter, resting his hand on his stomach.

"Kidding!" You shoot him a pointed look of disapproval.

"It's not funny!"

"Oh, it's not like you haven't thought about it already. Besides, you told me that last time you saw him you were going to tell him you were--"

"That's different! Those were different times and we were different people back then. Stupid, young, naive teenagers who thought that they knew the world! Now we're adults and he probably has a girlfriend or something," you mutter.

"Oh? And has he told you about said girlfriend?" You fold your arms across your chest.

"No, but--"

"So then he doesn't have one."

"But that doesn't mean--"

"Jade," he drops all playfulness from his face, looking at you seriously, "If he was your best friend, I think he would've brought it up by now. Plus, you and he have history. Sure, five years have passed and all, but does that really make a difference? Five years is like yesterday in love time."

"I don't think it works like that, Jake," you tell him. "Five years is five years."

"Do you love him any less than you did before?" You stare at him blankly, not responding. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, especially when one party thinks the other has been rotting in the ground. Hmmm, I wonder if he would've turned into a zombie afterward . . . " Jake muses aloud to himself, stroking his chin. "Anyway, I've gotta get back to work! And so do you! So long, fair lass!" Jake leaves you alone to your thoughts and your computer once again, and you reflect on the conversation. Did five years really make a difference?

"Fair lass?" your thoughts are immediately interrupted as Dave strolls into the room, hands in his pockets.

"You heard that?" you chuckle, averting your attention towards the computer in front of you.

"Just that part. Is that how all the scientists around here make their salutations?" he further presses.

"No, just Jake. He's just a friend of mine here."

"Oh, okay."

You watch him fiddle around with some loose papers on your desk and raise a brow at him. Was he _jealous_? You shake the thought from your mind, because it was absolutely ridiculous.

"Anyway, what's the four-one-one with you? You talk to someone about staying here?" He directs his attention towards you again.

"Yeah, I did. They were pretty chill about it, but they told me I had to have a solid reason besides, 'Yo, there's this girl that I was friends with can I just hang here for like, ever?' You got a solid reason for me?" You tap your chin with your pen, twisting your mouth to the side.

"How about you become my assistant? I can't see a better reason than that. I mean, I have a lot of work that I have to do, a good portion of it needing to be written."

"Sounds cool to me. I'll be the Igor to your Dr. Frankenstein, sure as shit," he beams. "I'll have to get a note from my doctor, first, telling them that I can't play in their reindeer games anymore because I've got more important duties than shitting around on snow piles and kicking mutant reindeer out of my elite club."

"Right away, Rudolph," you turn, scrawling down a note on a piece of notebook paper.

"Hey, who said I was Rudolph in this situation?" You turn to hand him the piece of paper, folding it up before he takes it.

"Dr. Frankenstein did, you freak."

"Keep talking smack to me, good doctor, and I'll make sure your ass never sees me again in this lifetime and the next!"

"Get out of here!" you exclaim, shooing him out of the room. You sigh and get up from your chair, making your way to the break room in order to pour yourself a cup of coffee.

"You're totally in love with him," Jake jumps up beside you, making you spill coffee everywhere.

"Can I not be alone for five seconds without some guy pestering me?!" you shout. "Clean this up for me, I don't have time for this."

You tear a piece of paper towel off and wipe off the bottom and sides of your mug, ditching Jake in the room. You didn't worry about adding powder creamer or sugar to it, because you needed this coffee as strong as it could get. Besides, you were used to drinking it black by now, and any other variation would just be silly.

You return to your office and get cracking for real this time, determined more than ever to get down to the bottom of this influenza business.

 

**Dave: Give your troop leader a doctor's note.**

 

"Here, I hope this'll grant me pardon from any more of those dumb gym activities we have to do," you hand Officer Smith your note from Jade. He eyes you warily.

"This says, 'Grant this poor, slow soldier from ever having to train again. He is just plain dumb and I will take it on myself to watch over his idiotic self. Signed, Jade Harley'." You swipe the sheet of paper and look it over. It does, indeed, say that. You groan, handing him the note.

"That's her brand of humor. She was being serious, though. She wants me to stay and assist her around the lab. She says she has piles upon piles of paperwork that needs to be done, plus she needs a good portion of it written out." Your officer considers the notion for a second before slipping you back the sheet of paper.

"You know, the Sergeant isn't going to be pleased that one of his top soldiers isn't returning to base." You shrug your shoulders.

"She needs me here. She's spent the last five years thinking that all of her friends she ever knew were dead." The Officer gives you a pointed look, as if to say, _"Welcome to the club, buddy."_ "Look, she's been through a shit ton of emotional trauma in her life and I don't want to add to it by dropping in her life, doing a little strip tease, and then fucking her over by leaving."

"Alright, alright you're granted permission to stay, effective immediately." You fist pump the air, letting the sheet of paper fall to the ground.

"Yes!"

"What's this? Strider's ditching us?" Grant joins the two of you.

"That's right," you answer him.

"Ah, so is it for that chick? Hmm, I've never seen Dave Strider be this committed for a woman before. You must have a huge boner for her," he grins stupidly.

"Shut the fuck up," you cross your arms. "She's just a friend."

"Uh huh, and grass is 'just green'. Don't worry man, I won't tell her," Grant jests.

"What, are we in third grade? I don't give a shit about what you do and don't tell her, because we're not eight years old running around the playground screaming about cooties. Look, I gotta go get back to her, so if you're done being a dick, adios," you salute him, sticking your hands back into your pockets and walking off towards the white, cube-shaped building where Jade works.

You scan your I. D. at the door (you were given clearance for this sector before you arrived) and enter the building, finding your way to the first door on the right down the narrow stretch of the hallway. You rap on the door with your knuckles, Jade appearing at the door not too long after.

"Oh, you got back that quickly?" she asks, allowing you inside before shutting the door behind you.

"Yeah, I did," you respond. "Of course, I'm not sure if I'm allowed being that I am a 'poor, slow soldier' and everything." She snorts, busting out into a cackle of laughter.

"I still cannot believe that you didn't check the note before you left! I hope you did look like a moron in front of your officer."

"You are a pain in the ass, you know that?" She looks over at you, her eyes brightly lit and her plush, pink lips curved into a soft smile.

"That's all I aspire to be to you." She seats herself back into her computer chair rolling about as she gathers some papers and manilla folders together. "Okay, I'm going to put you to work right away."

"Aw, come on, Jade. Can't I just stand around and do nothing?"

"Uh, no? I wasn't kidding about that assistant thing. I need someone to sort this stuff for real, and now that the position of assistant is filled, you are just the person. Besides, I'm on a roll right now. I think I'm really close to figuring out something, I just need a little peace and quiet." She hands you the papers and folders. "The folders are labeled with different projects. If it has anything to do with something like 'renewable energy', then place it in that folder. It's gonna require some context clues, but it shouldn't be too difficult or taxing on you. You can just sit down on the floor over there and shuffle through it until I can get you a desk in here or at least just a chair at most."

"Will I get a white lab coat, too? I am scientist now, too," you grin. She rolls her eyes at you, pointing to the floor.

"Just get to work, Dave."

You do as she instructs and scatter the papers on the floor, shuffling through them. You almost think for a split second that you regret leaving your previous occupation, because this science shit is _boring as fuck_. You then remember that the reason that you're staying here is because Jade is here, and that should be enough reason to keep you going. That doesn't make this task any less boring, however. You continue to stuff the papers into their allotted folders half-heartedly, glancing over at Jade every once in a while. You feel like a three year old given busy work while the adult gets to working on the important stuff.

"Wait a minute . . . " Jade says aloud a while later, sliding her chair over to the microscope on the left side of her desk. She checks it a couple of times, scrawling down something as she does so. She lets out a couple of _hmm_ 's and _interesting_ 's while looking back and forth at it and you sit patiently awaiting for her to announce something. "I think I've got it now."

"Got what?" you interrupt. She doesn't turn to face you, but responds.

"I think I understand what makes this thing tick. It isn't a influenza like we thought before, per se, but I think I know what kind of a vaccine it needs, exactly. Before we thought we might need to create an inactivated vaccine, but that proved to be . . . ineffective," she explains, and you cock your head at her.

"I have no idea what that means." She sighs, pressing her fingers against her forehead.

"Lemme think of a better way to explain this . . . Okay, so before we thought we were dealing with a regular type of influenza, which would have required a typical sort of vaccine used to treat things like cholera and bubonic plague and such, but that wasn't the case, after looking it over again. I'm almost one hundred percent positive that we'll have to develop a DNA vaccine, which is incredibly risky, but definitely worth it at this point. It's getting worse enough that it's time to try anything, I suppose." You push yourself off the ground and stand beside her, leaning against the desk.

"So what needs to happen now?"

"We need a lot of things that we don't have enough of here. Most of it is clean needles in order to administer the vaccine if and once it is made. Basically, I need to hit up a lot of hospitals. A lot has been looted in the past few years, so I can't get a definite, but if I get enough to supply this area, we'll be able to quickly tell the other sectors so that they can obtain these items and do so as well. Unfortunately, this type of vaccine is especially experimental, but once I tell everyone in the lab what's going on, they can get started right away with testing on the rats. We'll need a lot more stuff, but I'll find it as I go, I hope. I think I'll have to go get this other stuff myself while everyone works on it," she explains.

"Oh no, I am _not_ letting you go out there alone," you tell her. She shoots you a look of disapproval.

"What, you think I can't handle myself?" You shake your head at her.

"No, that's not what I think at all. I know all too well that you're more than capable of making it on your own. I just want to be there with you, is all. You may have gone outside the outer ring of the sector a couple of times, but I've been out there enough to see the hell that it is. Overgrowth galore, zombies still hoarded around places, people who won't hesitate a moment to fuck you up . . . Yeah, I'm definitely coming with you. Besides, how do you expect to get a bunch of sterile needles and shit on your own?" She sits on this information for a moment, trying to decide whether or not she has the gumption to let her own stubbornness go.

"Alright, you're coming with me. But don't you think for a moment that this means I'm weak, because I am not weak, and you better remember that." You reach over and ruffle her hair and she swats at you.

"Yeah, yeah, you're a ferocious beast. Now why don't you go tell your fellow nerds that you've cracked the da Vinci code?" She sticks her tongue out at you but does as you suggest, gathering a mass of her papers from her desk and carrying them away hurriedly.

You were long overdue for a fieldtrip with Jade Harley.

 

**Jade: Swat Dave's hand away.**

 

"Leave me alone!"

"You don't have the strap done correctly. You're gonna look like a dumbass and then you're gonna die," Dave pesters you.

"I think I know a thing or two about bullet proof vests," you fold your arms across your chest, grimacing.

"Uh huh, you keep telling that to the dude that's been in military training for the past five years, resting at the top of the charts in the sector," he tells you, gently pulling your hands away and gingerly adjusting the straps to what he deems the correct way. "There, you're good as gold, Harley." He notices that there is barely any space between the two of you and pushes you away from him by your shoulders, patting you afterward and dropping his hands to his sides. You eye him warily but are unable to continue conversation as soon as the head of your building steps in front of you.

"Hello, Miss Harley," Dr. Snowman greets you before turning to face Dave. "Mr. Strider."

"Ma'am," Dave gives her a little two-finger salute.

"I'm sure you're aware of the mission we're entrusting you with completing," she says.

"Yes, we are, Dr. Snowman. Thank you very much for granting us this," you tell her.

"Of course. Anything for one of our brightest. I hope the trip will not take too long and you will be back as soon as possible. I don't expect you to be back right away, not unless something goes horribly wrong, but I have the utmost confidence in one of Sector F's finest soldiers around to keep my brightest safe," she beams. "Now, if anything does happen, do not pursue this mission any longer. I want one or both of you to return if possible, and we will figure out another way to create this vaccine. Goodbye to both of you, and good luck." She gives a slight head nod and parts ways, leaving you and Dave alone.

"You scared, Dave?" you tease him as you slide your backpack onto your back securely.

"Nah, I do this shit for fun. It'll be a walk in the fucking park on a hot, sunny day, completed with those little fucking baller push up popsicles that you have to practically beg your mom to get you," he answers with a grin.

"As ever, Dave, your extended metaphors are endlessly funny," you snort.

"Oh, is that a hint of sarcasm I detect?"

"Yes, with a dash of 'you're a loser forever'."

"Harley, you keep dishing this sass to me while we're on our trip and I'm gonna have to be forced to turn this shit around. I'll do it, I'm not kidding." He tugs onto your arm to walk towards your destination point, the entrance of the sector. There, you'll be given any last minute supplies that might be helpful to your mission.

"Ah, there you two are," the sector leader, Douglass Graves greets you. "I suppose you're ready to go out for the retrieval mission?"

"Yeah, sure as shit," Dave responds, and you nudge him with your elbow. "I mean, yes, sir, we're ready to depart."

"Good. We have your weapons ready, along with ammunition. There should also be some combat knives tucked away in your backpacks in case a moment arises where you do run out of ammunition along with two maps. Everything else you should have been told about, I trust. The lives of this sector are in your hands right now, don't forget that." He motions for a couple of the soldiers from Dave's troop to come forward, handing you two your guns. As requested, you are graced with a beautiful rifle.

"It's gorgeous," you mutter, admiring it in your hands.

"Of course you would think that. You're a rifle fanatic," Dave comments from the side, sliding the strap of his gun onto his shoulder.

"I do love rifles, but guns in general are my forte," you grin wickedly.

"Open the gates, please!" Graves shouts up to the top of the concrete wall built around the sector. The sound of clinking metal is heard as each section of the gates is unlocked, sliding to the side, exposing the outer world that you've missed for quite some time.

"Ready to go, Harley?" Dave whispers to you.

"I was born ready."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I really tried my best with this whole influenza thing so if you are super into science and medical and stuff please don't be offended vaccines are the dumbest things in the world why did I ever think this was a good idea to incorporate into a story?? Oh well. Let's just pretend for these pretenses and circumstances that this is highly correct. *shrugs*  
> Anyway, enjoy the chapter and stay tuned every other day for the rest of the fic! :)


	21. Chapter 21

**Dave: Bond with Jade.**

 

"So I said, "You feeling lucky? Well, do ya, punk?", and then I shot him," you finish your story.

"You do know that zombies can't talk and that you're wasting your time doing so?" she raises her brow.

"Okay, well, when you have to shoot a fuckton of them on a daily basis you'll do anything to make it at least a bit more interesting," you huff. "How are we doing? Are we getting anywhere?"

"Yeah, we're not too long out from the Marcus Local Hospital. I hope we'll be able to at least get _something_ from there."

"Me too. The quicker this goes, the quicker we'll be able to get back out of harm's way and into the comfortable limits of the sector." She glances over at you, mouth twisted to the side.

"Don't you like being out here? I mean, from the numerous stories you've told me about fighting off zombies and saving people I'd assume that you sort of enjoyed being out here." You shake your head at her.

"No way. I may be used to this sort of shit, but even you can see that the crumbling remains of the road and the forced overgrowth have certainly upped the creepy factor on the world. I mean, we're lucky it's only mid-afternoon right now. The worst time to be out is night time, especially now. The world's been given five years to decay and revive in the best way it knows how. It's become unknown to us living in the sector. We only know the bubbles we've been placed into." She takes her gun off her shoulder and grips it into her hands tightly.

"We better get ready. Hospitals are one of the most well-known sights where zombies congregate." You follow suit and grab your gun, making sure you have a well enough grasp on it.

"Duly noted."

You notice the fence surrounding the entirety of the hospital, crumbled remains of bricks lying around. It's slightly reminiscent of an insane asylum now, and it is definitely giving you the heebie jeebies. Nothing like a little visit to the medical facility to get the heart pumping.

You make your way through the torn opening of the fence, your fingers gripping the outer covering tightly as you guard yourselves. You scan the area for any sign of movement, but so far nothing is around. You pray that five years is enough for them to clear the area, but most just fester away in abandon lots, praying for the chance of a feed. That sickly texture of black melting viscera was something you would never become fond of, not in a million years.

You locate the doors to the hospital after slowly creeping up to the building, pushing through slowly and quietly, not daring to make even a sound. Any creak could alert anything undead still residing there, and your asses might possibly be toast in the blink of an eye. Jade waves you onto the barely illuminated stretch of the hallway, the only thing allowing you to see being the rays of sunshine pouring in through the large, shattered windows. She keeps her gun up as she walks along, scanning the names of every labeled section.

_Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Room, Gastroenterology Surgical Room . . ._

"Here it is," Jade whispers a second later, tugging on your arm towards the section labeled 'Phlebotomy Laboratory'. You follow behind her as she sneaks into the open doorway, studying the area.

The phlebotomy lab is way past its prime, everything seemingly overturned and looted at one point, but Jade points to a closet in the back of the lab, motioning to search it over. The door slides open with ease and while a lot of stuff is missing, she begins picking up anything she might need that is considered salvageable.

"Here, open your backpack," she instructs, handing the items over to you once you've done so. "It's nowhere near the amount we need right now, but it'll do for right now. I've gotten some bags that we can store the vaccine in once it's created, and quite a few needles. I'll see if I can place it in something else before giving it to you." She searches around the dark closet, shifting through the shelves for anything else that might be of importance. A minute later, she thrusts you a bag full of needles.

"Oh honey, you shouldn't have! Needles? Is it that kind of anniversary?" you exclaim with mock excitement.

"Quit being a dork and stuff it into your backpack! We need to get out of here quickly," she stresses. You place the bag into your own and zip it up, strapping it back onto yourself once you're done.

"We are a go." She nods and slides past you, taking the front line out of the hospital.

You walk within a foot of her, carefully listening for any sort of sound that might alert you of anything. You've gained a knack for being extremely perceptive now, your senses heightened immensely after a few years. Any slight sound could be detected by your bat-like hearing, and you would be on your feet as quick as a wink, ready to cut a bitch. It's times like these where you wish you actually _did_ have your sword, not some shoddy rifle. No offense to Jade, but you didn't have penchant for guns. Blades were your thing, always were. You put up with guns because you lost your sword all those years back. You were still pretty damn upset about it, but you suppose your life was inevitably more important than a sword.

"Hold up, Jade, I heard something." You pause immediately when you hear a faint _click_ , catching Jade by the elbow to halt her in order to assess the situation.

"Are you sure?"

"Yup, positive. Here, lean your back against mine so we can check the area for anything of the undead variety."

She does as you instruct and the two of you spin around the room, making sure that everything is spic and span and safe for you to exit through without having to worry. After quite a long moment of scanning, you cease the act, and she turns to face you.

"See, Dave, I told you there was nothing to worry--"

"Jade!" you shout, pushing her aside with your right arm as you shoot the Flesh behind her. She stumbles over but quickly recovers, coming to your aid. The flood gates have been opened then, because several dozens of them come crawling through, distorted and mangled bodies of what they once were. If you were still as weak as you once were you might retch, but you don't because you deal with this smell all the time. It's no stranger to you, nor are you to it. Bullets fly in the air like graceful butterflies, and _damn_ , are you having a fucking baller time.

"Dave, to your left!"

You turn and shoot the zombies attacking you from your left flank, black blood spurting through the air like a fountain. You pump as much lead into the air as humanly possible, and soon the hoard dies down, leaving you and Jade exhausted and panting, leaning your hands onto your knees.

"Jesus fucking christ, those hobos should get a job or something. We don't need their lazy asses wandering around looking for free handouts like we're some sort of goddamn soup kitchen." Jade glances over at you, giggling.

"You're so weird, Dave." Her bright moss irises create a twisting knot in your stomach, and you feel your throat run dry.

"Ha, yeah, that's me."

You didn't still harbor feelings for Jade Harley. No, those feelings had disappeared quite a long time ago. You weren't falling prey to her womanly wiles and charms, and you _certainly_ weren't thinking about how she had gained curves that ran for miles, ones that made you just want to trace your fingertips all over her--

"Dave, I said let's go. Are you listening to me?"

You cut back into reality, clearing your throat.

"Yeah, uh, let's go. No problem."

That wasn't entirely true. You did have one problem, and that problem came in the form of a girl who made sure she crawled into every crack and crevice in your brain.

_Five years, Strider. It's been five years._

Right. Five years. How could you possibly forget dying and abandoning the one thing that mattered most to you? Maybe it was a bad choice to stick around, not just for your own sake but for hers. You being alive must be at least some sort of relief for her. Couldn't that remedy the situation? Jade Harley didn't need you, and you sticking around longer made things just plain old fucking complicated. You didn't like that one bit.

 

**Jade Harley: Revel in your glorious loot . . . after you find shelter.**

 

"We need to look for some place to stay, like an abandoned house or just anywhere, really," you announce to Dave.

"Uh huh," he breathes, focusing straight ahead.

_What's wrong with him???_

"Or we could just build a rocketship to the moon."

"Sure thing."

"While wearing clown costumes."

"Yup."

"And become the rulers of a tiny alien civilization."

"Of course."

You grimace, shooting him an expression of frustration. What was wrong with him? Everything had been fine and peachy keen until before you left the hospital, and that was a few hours ago. Something seemed to be eating away at his mind, and you intended on discovering just what it was.

"Dave, quit it."

"Yeah-huh." You reach over and slap him hard across the face, mouth twisting to the side.

"I said stop it! What the hell is wrong with you?" You realize then that you're being awfully harsh with him, and you step back a bit, softening your gaze. " _Please_ , talk to me."

"Uh, it's nothing, I promise. I don't really want to talk about it." You halt on the road then, refusing to budge. He notices not too long afterward that you've lagged behind, and he turns to face you. "Jade, we need to go. It's getting dark."

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's up with you. C'mon, Dave." You almost think he's going to resort to the stupid old thing he used to do when he refused to tell you anything, and you're nearly furious until he speaks.

"I just . . . I'm sorry, Jade," he confesses.

"Huh? Sorry about what?" 

"I'm just sorry. I'm sorry I didn't ever talk to you and I'm sorry that I abandoned you when you needed me most and I'm sorry for dying and I'm sorry for not trying to find you and I'm--" You press your hand to his mouth to stop him from rambling more apologies.

"Quit it, Dave," you tell him softly.

"But I don't want to. I just--" he mumbles behind your hand, but you shake your head.

"Dave, you don't have to apologize for anything. You don't have to feel guilty for something entirely out of your control. I'm just glad you're here, is all." You reach over and pull him close to you, resting your head on his shoulder. You can tell he's thrown off by the gesture as his body goes rigid and unmoving, but you don't care. He needed this, whether he knew it or not. "I want you around, Dave Strider, whether you believe it or not. You're so important, and don't you forget that." You loosen your grip around him and step back, watching as his face becomes engulfed in red.

"Ah, uh, thanks, Jade," he says, clearing his throat.

"Okay, now say it with me." He eyes you warily with suspicion.

"Say what?"

"I, Dave Strider," you begin.

"I, Dave Strider."

"Promise to accept that I am important and that people want me around."

"Promise to accept that I am important and that people want me around," he echoes.

"And to always talk to Jade Harley whenever the occasion rises."

"Wait a minute, but what if--" he starts to argue, but you put your index finger to his lips.

"Ah-ah, no ifs, ands, or buts, okay? Just repeat what I said." You remove your finger from his mouth and he heaves a sigh but does as he is told.

"And to always talk to Jade Harley whenever the occasion rises."

"Perfect. I'm glad we sorted that out," you tell him.

"Perfect. I'm glad we sorted that out," he mimics you. You furrow your brow and punch him hard in the arm, which you quickly find out hurts you more than it does him.

"Stop copying me! You're such an insufferable prick," you groan. He smirks with satisfaction.

"That's me, the insufferable prick in the flesh."

"Alright, insufferable prick, let's go find some shelter. I refuse to be walking prey for a bunch of zombies."

The sky is golden orange as it presses against the horizon, still giving you time in order to find a place to rest for the night. You eventually find an old, dilapidated house that's still trying to keep itself on its last leg for as long as it can manage it. It's not your first choice, but you'd rather be in there than any day than have to be out in the open. You've experienced one too many of those days, and now with years having passed since Z-Day began, you're willing to bet more than anything that these houses are now just former shells of what they once were, and nothing more. The probability of a zombie boarding itself up inside was unlikely, but the two of you do a once-over before you stop to rest. It's only a one story house, but you split up to check all the rooms, meeting up not long after, giving each other the _'It's clear'_ nod.

You settle yourself down on the couch and Dave rests on the armrest, allowing his gun to fall down to his side.

"It's been awhile, Harley," he announces after several minutes of shared silence.

"It's been awhile since what?" His back remains turned away from you, but he continues conversation, regardless.

"Since we did this, ya know. Surviving out in the wild with only backpacks full of shit to keep us safe. It was how we met."

You stare blankly as you start to remember the memory of when you first met Dave Strider. He was an insufferable prick then, and still is now, but he's changed, and you've changed, and . . . _wow_. That was a lot to take in, and it almost felt in a way that you were back in Texas, strolling the streets to Dallas to find Rose, and coincidentally her cohort, your cousin John, unbeknownst to you. Part of you holds onto a sliver of hope that you might find them out here by chance, but you know that's highly unlikely. You searched the database for all the sectors awhile ago and not a single Lalonde or Egbert appeared on the screen. As far as you were concerned, Rose and John were lost to the sands of time, and breezed out of your life as quickly as Dave did. Of course, Dave was able to breeze back in like it had only been a very long, arduous minute, so that gave some sort of incentive to at least pray that they might do the same.

"Mhm, it sure was, wasn't it?" you grin, answering him after a second of thought. "I guess I'm kind of glad I met you, Dave. My life certainly wouldn't be the same without you in it."

"And I wouldn't be where I was today without you, Jade," he turns to face you, draping his legs over the armrest and balancing onto the couch. You feel your cheeks tingle with warmth and you press your hands against them in an attempt to conceal the blush.

"Yeah," you whisper, barely audible. Something occurs to you then, something that you hadn't really much addressed. "Dave, we're adults."

"We sure are." You hold his gaze for what seems like forever, your face growing soft. You watch as the corner of his mouth tugs upward as he seemingly regards you fondly.

"And as adults we need to get our sleep because we will be terribly exhausted tomorrow," you say, breaking eye contact with him.

"I couldn't have said it better myself. You want first watch or would you like me to do the honors?" Dave asks.

"Would you mind taking the first watch? I mean, if it's a problem--"

"It's no trouble at all, Jade. Now go to sleep so I can get to my sleeping break as quickly as possible."

"Aye aye, cap'n!" you salute him before rolling onto your side. You were more than ready to get some sleep for sure.

 

**Jade: Be the lovely healer woman.**

 

"Ma'am, what do you want us to do about the patient? I think he's having a seizure!" the young healer in training exclaims.

"I'm sorry, Natalie, but there isn't much that I or the other healers can do."

You offer her an expression of remorse, but she realizes you are right in the end. There wasn't much you could do to remedy the situation at hand. You were holistic healers, mostly, nursing anyone who needed it back to health, no matter how long it took. You were taught the art healing by the previous leader herself, before her passing. It was now your duty to lead the next generation of healers, and to keep the tradition spreading. You were more than willing to do so, taking pride in your good deeds. You never really needed a 'thank you' or 'bless you', because you were willing to heal these people without any words exchanged. You cared not their personality, if they had a propensity to be terrible, whatever the case. Victoria taught you that to be kind was the most important virtue to hold, and it would tune your moral compass in the right direction.

As of late, however, a main obstacle of yours had been this illness that had been cropping up all over. It frightened you for sure, as you had no idea of how it was passed to one another or how to go about treating someone with it. It was never a problem for your group, at least until people began to die. Then it was your problem, and you were determined to fix it. Unfortunately, no matter how many books you might've piled onto your palette over the years, you had no idea how to fix something like this. You were never a medical genius, and it didn't take being a medical genius to be a healer.

Your holistic methods were natural remedies that had proven time and time again to be extremely beneficial in the improvement of health among survivors. Holistic medicine could not cure this influenza of sorts, and people were suffering because of it. The amount of people you've had to bury in the past week alone is concerning. Luckily, your healers had been trained to be very sanitary when treating the sick, making sure that none came in contact with their skin, eyes, mouth, or nose in the event that what they had was beyond a common cold. Colds could be managed, influenzas could not.

"What do you want me to do when he . . . you know?" she asks hesitantly, so young and naive, so afraid of the world. She had to learn if she wanted to continue this path.

"You're going to have to bury him. I'm so sorry, Natalie," you shut your eyes tight before seeing her horrified face. You've seen enough of those to last you a lifetime, now. "But you have to make sure that you take care of the brain first, in any way that is comfortable for you."

"B-but ma'am, I don't think I can do that y-yet!" she stutters. You open your eyes again, seeing the contorted, twisted face of absolute, unadulterated fear. You simply ignore it as you have the rest before it.

"Natalie, if you wish to continue, then have to complete the task. He cannot be given any time after, and it must be quick. If you must, take one of the others with you to help, but you must learn," you instruct her. She simply nods her head before scurrying away into one of the many illuminated tents.

 _She's only sixteen,_ your mind irks you, but then another part of you counters, _But so were you when you had to do it to your own parents._

And therein lies one of the most important hardships of life now. You had to kill to survive, otherwise you would be killed in order for other people to survive. It was just the way the world was now. The world had always been an ice cold bitch before, but her personality was cruel and just plain heartless now. You had to learn her new rules, and you had to play by them as such, her little marionettes hoisted up on strings. It was survival of the fittest in the best sense of the word, and those determined enough would keep on living. You like to think of yourself quite determined, a streak that you had no plan to discontinue.

Regardless of what had happened to your brother, your best friend, your almost-boyfriend, you were going to keep on living.

 

**Healer: Be the man with the bronchial tattoo.**

 

And you are he.

Sometimes it's hard to get through the day for you. Your mind is in fragments, little puzzle pieces that you keep trying to fit into an entirely different puzzle from the one you once created.

You like to think that after so many years you might remember something that isn't just your name, or the vague outlines of faces, or even worse, the harsh words that you might have once screamed, but your brain has failed you once again, not giving you any detail of the old. You've come to terms with that now, the fact that you're not the person you used to be. You've spent your time as a drifter, phasing in and out of people's lives. You help those in need and then you leave in the blink of an eye, never to return again. You were rebirthing yourself, trying to make yourself whole once again. And in some respects, that was working. Your brain had a lot of other plans for you, too.

Every once and a while you'd dream of an angel, a girl with golden hair that caresses her shoulders, but she seems too good to be true. She'll touch your fingertips and dance around you, violet eyes that'd put many starlets to shame. She'll give you a tiny curve of the lips, a playful smile daring you to tell her she's anything but perfect. You want to hug her tightly to your chest and press your lips onto her delicate flesh, but then you're quickly pulled back into reality, and the angel is gone and you are alone. You pick back up from where you left off, traveling by foot and not giving a single damn about whether or not the girl from your dreams is real. Her being in your mind is real enough for you, and you figure it unfair that she's not manifested herself yet.

After a while, you find the scenario gets old and that the girl has become almost nonexistent to your dreams, and you come to terms with that with ease. You only had one primary focus, and that was to help people, pure and simple.

"Hey, I need help! I--aren't you the Nomad?"

A kid emerges from behind the trees and finds you amidst the rubble of the street, his voice strained with urgency.

"Yes, I am," you answer him, as if rehearsed or a recording played on repeat so many times. It was mechanical like how quickly you were able to answer the question without a single thought. You get that a lot.

"My sister needs help! I was walking with her, and these guys came and took her away! I ran as fast as I could out of their way, because if I didn't they would have hurt her. Once I spotted you, though, I knew you could help get her back."

"Of course I can," you tell him, following behind the kid as he sprints off into the brush of the forest. The word sister repeats inside your mind, a familiar echo of something you desperately want to grasp onto.

_Did I have a sister? I think I had two of them. Or one that seemed like a sister? Are they both dead?_

You had no earthly idea how to answer yourself. You were still drawing a blank, but you didn't have time for any speculation of your psyche and what it might be withholding. You reach into your pack as your feet push off from the dirt, manifesting your weapon right after. You're not sure why, but this seemed to be something you were talented at using, your preferred weapon of choice. It was a rusted silver sledgehammer and it did wonders for you.

"Over there!" the kid points as you catch up with the group of men whom seem to be dragging a girl by the arms forcefully. You feel a surge of fury boil in your veins. You'd heard about this group before, and they were absolutely disgusting pigs, making a trade off of something that wasn't theirs to sell. How they kept their business going was beyond you, but you didn't give a single damn about that. You wanted to take care of these motherfuckers on the spot, and you certainly weren't going to hesitate.

"Let her go!" you bellow as you gain on them. They turn their attention towards your voice, howling with delight.

"Oh, you think you're just going to waltz up and taking our fucking prize? I don't think so. We won her fair and square, and we intend to keep it that way!" one of them cackles.

"I don't think you understood what I said before," you tell them calmly this time, raising your hammer slightly. "I said, let the fucking girl _go_."

"No can do, Charlie. We're just taking our property back, and this little number is ours now. So if you could just skedattle, we'd all be fine and going along our merry ways . . . " You hesitate for no moment longer to swing your hammer at them, causing them to scatter.

"Hmm, three down, four to go. You wanna make this easy and stop pretending like you fucking own people?"

"Nah, I _don't_ ," a gutsy one with a scar spreading across the entirety of his face answers you. Wrong choice.

"Nice try, but that was the wrong answer!" you exclaim, getting within the range of his head.

"You trying to fucking cut my head off?!" the guy exclaims, bewildered.

"Duh. That way when I kill you I ensure that you don't come back to life. It's like killing two birds with one stone--quick and easy." The man pulls out his own weapon then, a small blade that can still inflict damage within close proximity of him. Other than that it's useless, a generic updated swiss army knife for a boy scout kit.

"I think you need to step the fuck off, kid. This here's our territory now," a malicious grin spreads across his face.

"There's just two things wrong with that," you say, inching closer. "One, I'm not a fucking kid. Two, I'm twenty-three, and three, I can KICK YOUR FUCKING ASS," you screech lunging for him as you swing your hammer. He underestimates the stroke, and his skull collides with metal, a disgusting crunching sound piercing the air. He crumples to the ground, and the other three desert you, leaving the girl.

"Thank you so much," you praises you with a wide smile, kissing you upon your cheek.

"No problem," you tell her with a nod. "I'm sorry you had to endure that. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some traveling to do." The two kids look at you with confusion.

"Where to?" You shrug.

"I don't plan, I just do." There's a small discussion then, shared between the two siblings, that reminds you of someone, _something,_ you just need more time to--

"We've reached a decision. We're going to accompany you," the girl says. You frown at them, inching back a bit.

"Oh no, you are _not_ coming with me. I have no room in my caravan for kids."

"Pleeeeeaaaaasssseeeee? Just for right now until we can find a real place to stay?" they plead in tandem. You heave a sigh and throw your arms up in the air.

"Fine, you can tag along. But don't think for a moment that this means I can't just ditch you." They nod their heads quickly and repeatedly, a mess of words spilling out their mouths. You gesture with your hand for them to follow you to the road, and you continue your journey to nowhere once again, the Nomad trying desperately to uncover his past, with no real path to walk on. It was fucking terrible, but you suppose it's better than staying in one place. You were really sick of this brain damage, but for now you guess you'll just have to stick with feeling comfortably numb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I know I just posted one yesterday but I felt like posting another chapter today. I'll post another tomorrow and then it'll be every other day again for the rest of the chapters and such, so enjoy this next one!  
> (also it was an excuse to use a Pink Floyd reference did you pick up on that)  
> (also also i know that you know who those other two characters are but i did it for dramatic effect so just go with it)


	22. Chapter 22

**Jade: Wander.**

 

_You find yourself walking amongst a thick, dense fog amongst an amalgamation of trees. You have no idea where you are or what you're doing, but your bare feet press up against the twigs and dirt around, your own sort of toes-in-the-sand kind of feeling. It's dark all around you and a bitter cold biting against your exposed flesh. You wrap your arms around yourself in order to contain the warmth that flows from your core. A flash of white rushes past you and suddenly you're running after it, trying desperately to catch up._

_The thing never slows down, but you're pulled towards it, drawn to it like a magnet. Your breathing is shallow but you don't care because you have to catch up, you must catch up, you . . ._

_"Hey, slow down!" you shout to the thing, but it doesn't want to listen, it wants to just keep running from you, and running and running and running. You feel your knees begin to grow weak, but you're determined to keep following the white apparition. Eventually you crash to the ground, hitting hard against the earth. Your heart becomes pained because you've lost it, you've lost it forever . . ._

_"Bec?"_

_Your eyes grow wide when you realize that your own dog is standing before you, the one you had lost so many years ago. It didn't hurt you as much, anymore, but you find your heart beat fast as you reach out to touch his fur, just once before he disappears--_

_Suddenly his fur becomes stained red as a laceration opens up his skin, the metallic smell flooding the air as he just stands there, watching you with those piercing blue eyes, as if saying, "Why Jade? Why did you let this happen?" You blink again and he's transformed, much to your horror, the blood still dripping, but in his place--_

 

_Dave Strider._

 

_His eyes are wide as he clutches his stomach, the bullet wound still dripping with fresh crimson. He stares at you and you want to start screaming, you want to save him so badly, but--_

 

You wake up with a startle, gasping for air as you sit upright.

 

"Jade, are you okay?!" Dave asks, his forehead creased with worry. You nod your head slightly as you gather your thoughts and catch your breath, wiping sweat away from your forehead.

"Bad dream," you tell him with a swallow. You realize that he's on the couch with you now, and that you've been sleeping against him again.

"You asked me to stay with you again," he admits shyly when he notices your speculative gaze. You run your fingers through your hair, pressing it against your scalp.

"I'm sorry, I get that way when I'm groggy . . . " You quit explaining yourself to him, because you realize he doesn't want explanations. He's here for you, and he's not going to deny you anything. "Thank you." His lips thin into an unsure smile and he reaches for your back, patting it a couple of times reassuringly.

"Anytime."

You check on your watch and notice that it's way past time for you to take over watch, and that he's let you sleep longer than you need.

"Dave, go to sleep. I can take watch now."

"Are you sure? I can stay awake for quite awhile, I mean, I'm used to it and everything--"

"Dave, _go to sleep_ ," you press, pointing towards the couch. He shuts up then, lying back against the faded exterior of the couch. He removes his shades from his face, placing them beside him as he turns onto his side, shutting his eyes tightly as he drifts to sleep. You remove yourself from the couch and sit on the floor, leaning your back against it.

_What did that dream mean?_

Obviously your brain was creating a nightmare to scare the shit out of you and it was working pretty damn well, but all-in-all, it was very random. Bec? You rarely thought of him anymore. Yes, you did think about him and your grandfather and your parents often, but you thought mostly of Dave and John and Rose. Out of the whole dream, the Dave part was the most normal image. You had plenty of those dreams to go around, but wouldn't that go away with him here right beside you now? Shouldn't that horror drain from your mind completely?

Apparently not.

You dig into your backpack, shuffling through the items until you find a little black notebook, opening it up and scanning through the pages. You wanted to preoccupy your mind with other things that were not blood and gore and the demise of two of the most important things to you, but not even the chemical process of creating the vaccine can distract your mind. You close the notebook and toss it back into the bag before drawing your knees up to your chest, resting your head atop them as you heave a sigh.

You really miss the way things were. You knew it didn't do well to dwell on the past, but it's the truth. Sure, you're living the dream by working practically every day in a lab and being surrounded by everything you could've ever wanted, but the victory was hollow to you. What good was it without Rose and her snarky banter and overall caringness for her friends? What were you without John and his familial support of you and his humorous nature? How could you have lasted five years without Dave close by your side, your partner in crime? It was extremely tough on you, and it made you wonder how Dave was able to do it. Was he as lonely as you were, or did he just cope with the years with ease? Perhaps you should ask him yourself.

You glance over at the blond resting on the couch, his face peaceful and vulnerable as he succumbs to dreamland. He was an enigma, and for some reason he was insistant on staying at your side. He was what Bec was to you, in a way, and you were sort of appreciative of that. You were glad that you were able to have someone so close to you that you felt like you could tell them anything and have them there for constant support. Dave was a good friend to you, _is_ a good friend to you, and he never stopped being your friend for an excruciatingly long period of time. You were more than thrilled to have him back.

You scoot a little closer to him then, reaching your hand over to catch the one dangling over the side of the couch. You lace your fingers through his gently as to not wake him, your skin refamiliarizing itself with his. If he were to wake up right now you would release it instantly and deny it ever having happened, but for now you savour the moment, your mind content as you feel yourself relieved for once. You felt like you had to worry a lot less with him around, and you were more than okay with that.

 

**Dave: Wake up.**

 

"Dave, I think it's flurrying outside!"

The exclamation jerks you from your sleep, your eyes shooting wide open. You fumble around your sides in order to locate your shades, which have fallen down the side of the couch. You unfold them and place them back on your face, rising up and dangling your legs off the side of the couch. You take notice of Jade sitting in the frame of the window, looking out at the world outside with childlike wonder. She turns back to look at you, her eyes wide and bright, her mouth drawn into a playful grin, buckteeth and all.

"Wha's up?" you ask her with a yawn, standing up to stretch your arms in the air.

"I _said_ , it's flurrying outside!"

You go meet her by the window, hands stuffed in your pockets. You gain full view of the window and notice that she's right as tiny white flecks fall sporadically from the sky.

"Hmm, explains why I'm freezing as shit," you comment. "Where's your bag? It's got clothing in it, right?" She nods, pointing to the open pack leaning against the couch. You dig into it, searching for a sweater of some sort, and find a dark gray knit hooded sweater that you gave to Jade to pack away. You undo your bulletproof vest and remove it from yourself in order to pull the sweater over your head and onto your body comfortably. You decide to leave the vest off, at least until you hit the road once again.

"Toss me mine!" Jade calls out to you, and you do so, fishing for hers in the bag. You find a forest green sweater jacket and pull it out, returning to her side in order to deliver it to her. She makes you hold it while she removes her vest, trading it for the sweater not long after. She pushes her arms through the holes for the sleeves and then zips it up, hugging the sweater when it's on her. You shove her vest towards her to relinquish it, and she tosses it on the floor.

"If you're so cold, then why didn't you put it on earlier?"

"I wasn't cold before," she answers. "I like the cold." You shoot her a questioning look.

"Then why are you wearing the sweater now if you love it so much? And weren't you raised on an island? I can hardly see how those two things connect." She makes a noncommittal gesture with her shoulders, leaning her weight against the wall.

"I dunno, I just am. I guess I'm well adapted for all different sorts of climate!" she chirps.

"Of course you are," you remark incredulously, rolling your eyes at her. When a moment of silence forces its way between you two, you suddenly remember something that had been bugging you. "Oh, by the way, what were you having a nightmare about last night, if you don't mind me asking?" Her jubilant expression drops from her face immediately then, the color draining from her face.

"It was nothing," she answers with a gulp, focusing her attention out of the window pane and away from you.

"Oh, come on, Jade. If I can talk to you about anything, then don't you think it's fair you talk to me in return? You know I'm good for it," you tell her honestly. She rests her left hand on her right bicep, biting her lip nervously, as if contemplating it.

"It was . . . " there's a hitch in her breath, "I dreamed about Bec, and he had a wound, and there was lots of blood around, and I . . . then Bec turned into . . . don't make me say it, _please_." She turns to you and her eyes are pleading, and you can see the fear and horror resting in them. What could've she been referring to? What did Bec turn into? What had she seen that could've . . .

_Oh._

" . . . Is that why you were, uh, muttering my name in your sleep?" you tread lightly around the subject. She nods her head.

"Yeah, probably."

"Hey, look here, Jade," you tug on her arm lightly to gain her full attention, "I'm here now. I know it was a shit thing you had to see and I'm not saying that you can forget about it, but I also want you to know I'm here for you now, and I'm not gonna leave. I'm gonna stick it with you, 'cause you're motherfucking Jade Harley and you're the coolest, smartest, most amazing person in this world, and that's a fucking fact."

You watch as the corners of her mouth twitch, curving into a genuine smile. You open your arms for her and she leans into them gladly, resting her head against your chest warmly. You draw her tightly against you, nuzzling your face into her hair.

"Thank you, Dave." She withdraws herself from you then, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear afterward and clears her throat. "Uh, we should probably eat something and go. We've still got a lot to do, and it's only been a day, really."

"Of course," you agree wholeheartedly, joining her as she walks over to the bags. She shuffles through to the bottom of hers, extracting a couple of granola bars, handing you one gingerly. You study the green wrapper with oats on the front, scrunching up your nose in disgust. Nothing like a little Nature Valley to get a guy some real protein in the morning.

Or not.

You hate granola bars, but you eat what you have because otherwise you would fucking starve and look like an idiot for dying because you couldn't handle a goddamn granola bar. You take a bite of it, chewing it indignantly and quickly to get it over with. Jade stomachs hers with ease because she grew up on food that was everything but doritos and apple juice almost every morning.

When the two of you have finished you gather your things, strap on your vests again, and bid the house adieu. It's still cold as fuck outside, but the flurries have stopped, leaving only a gray, clouded sky in its stead. You pull your hood over your head, drawing the strings a bit so that you're shielded from the bitter sting on the wind. Your cheeks remain exposed, however, and are continuously being nipped at to the point of numbness.

"I can't believe it dropped so suddenly. I mean, it's been pretty cool out, but this significant of a decrease in temperature?" Jade complains.

"Says the girl who was just telling me that she loves the cold?" you remark. She pouts her lips, narrowing her eyes at you.

"Shut up."

"Hmm, someone's cheeky today. You've been practicing your comebacks, haven't you?" you mock her. You watch as the corners of her mouth twitch upward, the pout disappearing from her face. She didn't really have the ability to stay mad at you for that long a period of time. She leans over and knocks into your shoulder playfully, causing you to stumble a bit.

"You're a dork."

"You really know how to make me feel like a teenager again, huh?" 

"You talk about it as if we're old curmudgeons," Jade snorts.

"We are. We are so old, you have no idea. We are old enough to be grandparents who sit around in a nursing home playing fucking bingo and mahjong and shit like that. The kind that send their grandkids gift cards for Walmart for like fifteen bucks. Well, you would probably do that. I'd be the cool grandpa who would send them those fancy-ass Visa gift cards because I'm just that hella rad," you tell her, kicking aside a pebble in your path as you walk down the overgrowth-clad road.

"We are almost twenty-four, Dave. I think it's a little too early to be looking at the past like those were the glory days," she laughs, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Those _were_ the glory days, Jade. Sitting by the docks, drinking shit tons of apple juice, playing board games and poker into oblivion," you list, then give her a sly side-glance, "The dark broom closet . . . " Jade's face immediately flares red with embarrassment as she cups her mouth.

" _DAVE!_ " You cast a wicked grin upon your face, knocking into her shoulder gently.

"I'm only kidding."

The blush doesn't disappear from her face but you can tell she isn't actually mad at you for the little side comment. You sort of made it as a way to test the waters with how comfortable the two of you really were with each other. If anything, Jade was your friend first, and being able to at least bring up your past relationship should be something the two of you can do without struggle.

It was a little hard to believe that the two of you were ever in a relationship to begin with, or that you even broke up with her, or rather, that she broke up with you. It was so long ago, and yet . . . and yet it feels like just yesterday you were pressed against her, exploring every hill and valley she had to offer. It was weird to think that there was a point the two of you were so intimate and it makes you sort of remorseful that you lost that.

At the same time, you have to really wonder . . . did you really ever lose it? Did the two of you lose that spark or had time only refined it more? Those were the real questions that you find you were pressed to find the answers to, and only time could tell.

 

**Nomad: Let the seer do her work.**

 

"Ah, let's see . . . you had pickles for breakfast?" the seer says with a raspy voice. You click your tongue against your teeth, brow furrowed as you snatch your hand away from her.

"You are terrible at this. Why did I let you guys rope me into this?" The two kids you've been traveling with shrug their shoulders, goofy grins plastered upon their faces.

"We thought you might need some cheering up! You always seem so depressed and Debbie Downer-ish. Besides, she said she can help you out with your mind. She says she's 'trained' in this sort of stuff, healing the mind, seeing into what troubles you. She said she's kind of like the real life equivalent of the Daredevil," the boy, Chance, explains.

"C'mon, you'd probably feel a lot better if you just loosened up a bit! You're getting kind of boring, to be honest. Like, I though fighting zombies would be fun and adventurous like on those television shows, but you really know how to make a class out of it," Vivi, Chance's sister, remarks. "I mean, I get that you're trying to teach us survival skills, but _damn_ , do you make it a habit of acting like you're the book of Leviticus. You need to smile every once in a while, okay?" You glare over at Vivi, but give in, exhaling an exhausted sigh for effect. You place your hand back into the blind woman's own, letting her study it.

"Thank you for allowing me to do my job," she says sardonically, and you bite back a retort. "Look, I know what I'm doing, okay? I may act like a crackpot or an unethical quack, but I know at least how to figure out what's wrong with you. Believe it or not, when my mother was alive she was a doctor. I've also met up with quite a few groups of holistics, and they taught me what they know. It's harder for a blind girl like me, but I've gotten used to it. I've got the rest of my group over there to help me out, my boyfriend being one of them, despite his surly nature. He's grown out of it quite a bit though, since we were teens. He's a lot more caring than you'd peg him to be," her mouth curves upward, admiration gleaming upon her face.

"Okay, okay, I believe you. Let's just get it over with," you urge her, trying desperately to get back to travelling.

"Alright, but you don't have to give me your hand, I was just being funny," she cackles a bit, but you don't laugh along with her. "Hm, I thought you might at least chuckle at that. You seem like the kind of guy who'd be into comedy."

"No, I'm not."

"You're an interesting person, for sure. Tell me what happened for you to lose your memory like this."

"I was knocked out and then I woke up, and I couldn't remember a thing. I couldn't find a single person who knew a single thing about myself, and while small things did come back to me, I still don't know who I really was, or who knew me . . . _N_ _othing_." Her mouth twists to the side, and you _swear_ it looks like the shape of a question mark.

"I see. It sounds like you suffered damage to the frontal lobe and a bit to the hippocampus. I doubt you're normally this irritable, or at least, I assume that's how you were before you received injury to your head. Your memory is tampered with, and your frontal lobe received enough damage that it made your emotions change. I don't quite know how to fix it, because by any account, with your retrograde amnesia, you should be at least somewhat aware of your old memories. If anything, I'd guess that you never had the sort of environment you were used to in order to receive cues that would sort of bring those memories back over time. For now, they're lost into the oblivion of your mind: tiny, little stars in your mind sky that you can't seem to grasp onto no matter how hard you try."

You grimace at her, mulling over her diagnosis. You could have been happier once upon a time. You could've enjoyed life, but all that is lost, and you're not sure if you'll ever get that back. You'll never be able to remember any good times you ever had, and the feeling of happiness is quite foreign to you now. You hated that.

"Thank you, at least for helping me understand," you pat her hand, giving your best attempt at some sort of a grin, albeit a poor attempt.

"No problem," she acknowledges.

"Terezi, we need to go--Oh . . . Uh, hey." A man comes rushing to her side, only to stop dead in his tracks when he spots you. Something about the two of them suddenly screams familiar to you, but you can't place why. You only figure it's your mind playing tricks on you.

"Karkat, this is a new friend I met," she strains her voice, as if trying to allude to something. "He goes by the name, the 'Nomad'." The man named Karkat glances at you, his face scrunched up with worry as if he's seen a ghost.

"But he--" he tries to say, but the seer shakes her head.

"Leave him be. He's got a long journey ahead of him, and if we say anything now it'll only ruin it," she says, rising to place a delicate hand on his shoulder. Karkat nods his head with understanding, turning back to face you. He extends a hand out to you and you shake it before letting your own fall back down to your side.

"It's nice meeting you and all . . . _Nomad_ ," he emphasizes, "But we've gotta get a move on. We're going to be travelling north for a bit." You stand up, joining Vivi and Chance.

"Of course. It was nice meeting you guys, and thank you again for at least trying to help me out a bit!" you call out to them as you walk away, hammer in hand. They wave and you depart, a shiver down your back.

"What is it?" Vivi asks, looking at you with her face full of concern.

"I dunno, it just seems like I've seen those two before somewhere, like in a dream or something far more distant," you admit.

"Do you want us to go back?" You shake your head.

"No, I think my mind's just playing tricks on me again. Let's just keep walking. We've got a lot of ground to cover for quite some time." Vivi and Chance nod their heads in acknowledgement, quickening their own paces to match yours.

You almost wish you did know those two, because you wanted answers.

_"Leave him be. He's got a long journey ahead of him, and if we say anything now it'll only ruin it."_

You wonder what Terezi had meant by that, and the question perplexes you as you realize that Terezi and Karkat aren't common names, and that maybe your mind wasn't quite playing tricks on you. You don't go back though, because you think that Terezi really did know something when she said that you had a long journey ahead of you. You intended to keep travelling, because something in your gut told you that was the best decision for you. You had a feeling that you never were one to ignore gut instincts before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back again with another chapter! I was super busy today and didn't get much sleep last night, so that's why I'm posting it at what would be midnight for me. Hopefully it was worth the wait! :)


	23. Chapter 23

**Jade: Tend to the fire.**

 

"You need a shave." Dave sits down next to you on the log, hands buried deep in his jacket pocket.

"I don't know if you've noticed, Harley, but while scavenging for medical supplies across the state one does not have time to get a fucking shave in," he remarks, the condensation from his breath sticking to the chilled air.

"It's all scraggly!" you exclaim, patting his cheek with the tips of your fingers.

"Oh, you mean _this_?" He draws your cheek against his, forcing you to rub your face all over his stubbly mug. You try to push away but with no avail. "Come on, Harley! Don't you like a man with a little stubble?"

"I did _not_ ask for this!" you bat at him, successfully wrestling yourself away from his grasp. "You're face hurts."

"Aw, would you like a little cheese with that whine, then?"

"Pfft, where'd you learn that comeback, high school? Besides, we need to hurry up. We've got a lot more stuff to get, and with the underwhelming amount of stuff we've already collected, they'll probably have to call this mission null and void," you poke him in the arm before returning to tend to the fire. It's been a whole week since you and him set off to go find the supplies, and so far you've been successful. Sort of. Regardless, you were making progress, and progress is progress. And speaking of progress . . .

Could you really call it progressing? You weren't entirely sure, but it felt an awful lot like the two of you were sitting on a teeter totter upon the line that separates platonic and, well, being more than _just_ friends. It was always teetering between the two, and you weren't sure if he was being hesitant about it or if he just couldn't bring himself to reciprocate that spark that the two of you once held. He did bring up your past relationship like it was nothing, so was it really nothing?

"Where to next? I've got the map right here and crossed off the places we've already visited . . . " You glance over and watch as Dave hunches over, a marker in one hand and the map with little red x's graced upon it in the other. Lately he had sort of kicked into a more serious mode that you had rarely ever seen from him before, the sort of 'get shit done, don't waste time' kind of attitude that he most likely adopted from training.

"Right here," you point to a spot on the map called 'Ridgepoint'.

"Ridgepoint? Gee, we've gone pretty far," he remarks, circling Ridgepoint with the red ink.

"Yes, we have. And if we don't start hauling ass we're not going to get anywhere!" You exclaim, dragging him upward by the arm.

"Okay, but do you want me to put the fire out?" He stuffs the map and marker back into his back pocket and then starts unzipping his pants.

"NO NO NO!" you wave your arms frantically in front of his face. He breaks out into a peal of laughter, zipping his pants back up.

"You seriously thought I was gonna piss on the fire to put it out?"

"I wouldn't put it past you, Dave," you scowl at him.

"And that's why I didn't do it. I gotta keep you on your toes, Jade," he beams, his perfectly straight (you hate him for that) and aligned (hate hate _hate_ ) teeth sparkling at you. You feel a lump in your throat suddenly and swallow it back hard.

"You like pushing my buttons too much." You start to gather your things together, kicking dirt into the fire to extinguish it.

"Your buttons are fun to push." _Was_ he flirting with you?

"Oh yeah, well--"

A couple of shots ring through the air and Dave tackles you to the ground, shielding you with himself. You want to push him off, yell at him, and tell him that you can handle your own, but he presses a finger to his lips, gesturing with his head for the two of you to crawl off behind the sets of bushes resting to the side. You grab your gun and bag and slide carefully and quietly across the forest floor as quickly as possible. Dave follows suit and arms himself, making his way beside you.

"On the count of three," he breathes, gripping the gun in his hands tightly, "We both are going to glance over and see if there's anything out there, got it?"

"Got it," you whisper back, holding the gun firmly in your hands. You feel a tingle of excitement rush through your system. You've been dying to get some sort of action, regardless of whether or not you let a few bullets fly. You were getting sort of trigger depraved, in a way.

"1 . . . 2 . . . 3!"

Both of you pop your heads over the bushes simultaneously, scanning the area to see if anyone is coming this way.

"I'd suggest you turn yourselves around and hand everything over, son."

You and Dave shift slowly towards the voice emanating from behind you, facing a bald white guy with a scrunched up face and a couple of his cronies in stupid looking hunting vests. They've got their guns pointed right at you, and you do the same as the two of you crawl to your feet.

"No way, old man," Dave refuses to comply, his brow furrowed in anger. "We ain't givin' you shit. What the hell makes you think three fuckboys like you can just waltz over here like you own the place demanding our shit?"

"We can do whatever the fuck we want, boy," one of the guys behind him spits.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize I was in the presence of fuckboy royalty. I didn't realize that you guys are titled to whatever the fuck you want because you've got poor dental plans, alopecia, and a condition called 'Singleasfuckandnevergonnagetlaid'," Dave tetorts quickly. You try to put your hand on him to stop, but you don't want to let go of your gun for one second.

" _Dave_ ," you hiss under your breath so only he can hear, but he ignores you.

"You're just askin' to get shot now," the bald man banters. "But we're not gonna shoot you." You heave a sigh of relief, but your small celebration is over when his gun shifts over towards you. "We're gonna shoot _her_."

The blast of his gun rings in your ears and you're blown backwards, hitting your head against something hard. You hear someone shout, "JADE!", but the world becomes a void before you can make anything of it.

 

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

 

_"Grandpa, why are all these people rushing out of the airport so quickly? Is there some emergency we don't know about?" You pull your bookbag and suitcase off of baggage claim, venturing over with him towards the area where they keep animal passengers._

_"I'm not sure," he tells you, stroking his chin. "I'm in as much of a pickle as you, buttercup."_

_You brush through the crowd, panicked faces and screaming children being whisked away by their parents blurring by you. someone plows into your shoulder and you lose a bit of distance with your grandfather, but quickly catch up beside him. The animals in their cages are whining and whimpering and thrashing about in some of the crates, and you find Bec, unlatching the crate._

_"Jade, I'm not sure you can--" your grandfather begins, but you shake your head._

_"With all these people frantically moving about, I doubt they'll even notice," you tell him. Bec pops out of the crate eagerly, pacing by your side as he meets you. "Hey, boy! I'm sorry you had to be cramped up inside that stuffy crate, but they don't let doggies ride first class," you coo, scratching his head._

_"Alright, Jade, let's go. We've got a tight schedule to attend to while we're here. I've got a--"_

_"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you've got a business meeting. You keep telling me that." Your grandfather glances over at you, a smirk playing at his lips._

_"That's my girl," he says as he ruffles your hair. "Now let's go." You whistle for Bec to meet you and leash him up, leading him alongside you._

_You push through the crowd of people, which has thinned out quite a bit. They're still shoulder to shoulder, however, and it's making it hard for you, your grandfather, and Bec to exit. You can barely hear anything over the shouting, not even your own thoughts. You use the strength of your elbows to force your way through, and eventually make it out of the airport, a mass gathered outside._

_"Folks, if you would just calm down, then we could get everything situated and organized and retain safety for everyone!" a man up front calls out, attempting to alleviate the situation._

_"But we're not safe! They're coming for us, and we're doomed!" someone screams, as several others mimic them._

_"Who's 'they'?" you ask your grandfather, but he only shrugs._

_"I haven't the slightest clue."_

_"We will be safe, folks, just--"_

_"I'm not gonna sit here and wait for someone to tell me how to live my life. As far as I'm concerned, we're all sitting ducks waiting to be feasted upon! I'm gonna run, and I suggest you guys join me!" someone shouts. Loud murmurs erupt from the crowd as everyone scatters, pushing everyone and everything out of their way. You and your grandfather watch with confusion as chaos unfolds before your eyes, and you can only hang tight to figure out what the heck is going on._

 

**Nomad: Ponder.**

 

As darkness falls around you, your only source of light is the fire in front of you, which you warm yourself up by. Vivi and Chance have fallen asleep, leaving you to watch over them as you have the past few days or so. They're not bad travelling companions, but you'd rather be on your own. It was just easier that way, because being around people only ever frustrated you. Seeing them run around and be happy with the people they love always sent a pang of jealousy through your chest, a longing for something that you once had. And you _know_ you had it.

You know you had the feeling of having people who cared about you around. You know you felt love for people regardless of the kind of love it was. You know you had people, but much like the memory of them, they are lost, lost to a world where life and death coincide every waking moment of every single goddamn day. You have no idea what side of the coin these distant people lie on, but you suppose not knowing is just as good as knowing. If they were dead, then perhaps not having any memory of them at all was for the best.

"You wanna talk?"

You turn and watch as Vivi takes a seat next to you on the ground, finding her own stick to prod the warm, flickering fire with. Her thick, black ringlets tumble down her shoulders as she leans her head forward, keeping contact with the campfire in front of her.

"Not really," you admit, leaning your chin into your hand.

"I'm not as dumb as I look," she presses, her brow arched up upon her forehead. "Just talk to me, at least. I doubt Chance and I will be hanging around with you much longer, and if anything, having one person to talk to wouldn't hurt. I know you like keeping people out of your circle, but maybe if you tried you'd find that it'll become a little easier if you just accept what happened."

"Accept what happened? How the hell am I supposed to accept what happened when I don't even know what happened to me?!" you shout at her, your voice raising involuntarily. "I just woke up and I didn't have a name and I didn't have a clue what I was doing and my head hurt and I had _nothing_. How am I supposed to accept the fact that I have nothing? I've sat around for five years hoping to find something that might clue me in, something that will yank those memories back to me like a fish on a hook. I've waited and waited and waited and still I can't find a single, goddamned thing to help me! How is that fair, Vivi? _How is that fair_?!" You breathe in and out rapidly, realizing that you've let your temper get the best of you. Vivi stares at you, her chocolate brown eyes wide with shock, analyzing the things you've just told her.

"It's not fair," she answers slowly, placing the stick into the fire, "And you have every right to be angry, but it's not going to make it better if you don't come to terms with it. So you lost your memory. So what? You're _alive_. You can find people like me and Chance that care for you with every fiber of our being, and that's just as what you might have or might not have had before. You don't realize that the only reason you have nothing is because you allow yourself to have nothing. You don't make any ties with people, you don't try to let yourself live. What kind of life is that?" Vivi's words flow through your mind, and as much as you don't want to admit it, she's making complete sense. Even though you may be several years older than Vivi, she was much, much wiser than you by a longshot.

" . . . You're right," you admit to her. "It's just . . . it's _hard_." Vivi reaches over and places an arm around you.

"Hey, look, we're here for you, okay? If you let us help you, then it'll get a lot less hard. You'll find that you'll forget you even lost your memories in the first place, because the new ones will be so much _better_." Vivi's mouth stretches wide across her face as she beams at you brilliantly, her eyes crinkled at the corners.

"Thanks, Vivi," you tell her, reciprocating the feeling with your own, small grin, the best one you can manage at the moment.

"Anytime."

 

**Dave: Motherfucking showdown time.**

 

"You should _not_ have done that," you bellow, taking your eyes off Jade and placing them back on the jackasses in front of you. Your brow is furrowed and your eyes are burning with fury while your veins are pumping with adrenaline.

"What are you going to do, shoot at us? It's three against one, fuckface." Oh no. Oh _helllllll_ no.

"That's okay. I don't need any help to take three shit heads like you down," you spit, slowly turning around your gun so that the butt of it is facing towards them.

"And yet you're turning your gun the wrong way. This'll be too easy," one of them laughs to the guy beside him. You smirk as you take a step, lunging forward.

The butt of your gun hits the guy in front of you straight into the abdomen, knocking the wind out of him. The other men shoot at you, but you're used to bullets bouncing off your vest and they're poor at shooting anyway. You let your gun go and spin on your heel, hitting the next guy square in the jaw with your fist, sending him to the ground. The last guy lifts his gun up to shoot you, but you pull him by the collar, sending a punch straight at his face with your other hand. You do that a couple of times before he's down on the ground.

"You wanna fucking go?!" you shout at them, waving them toward you with your hands. They scramble to their feet, tripping over each other as they scatter, not daring to try and get another hit off of you. You wait until they're out of sight and relax, shaking your hands off. You're knuckles were going to bruise like a bitch tomorrow for sure.

You finally turn your attention back towards Jade, rushing to her side as quickly as possible. You pick up the back of her head gently, noticing at once that she's hit it squarely against a huge rock jutting up out of the ground. You feel something warm on your fingers and pull them into view, crimson red running down your skin.

" _Shit shit shit shit shit_ ," you mutter, wiping the blood on your pants leg. You hoist her carefully off the ground, your heart pounding as you bring her over to where your supplies are. You rest her back onto the dirt floor, resting her head upon your thighs as you search through the bags for a medical kit or shirt or something. You're able to locate a small medkit, much to your relief, and you open it, finding gauze immediately. You take the gauze and wrap it around her head as snugly as possible without it hurting her, ripping it and tying it into a knot securely when you think you've used enough. If anything, it'll cease the bleeding, at least until you can find somewhere where someone might be able to fix her up. You know that it's a longshot, but you know there are dozens upon dozens of small groups that have made their own homes around, you've seen it before. If you can at least locate one of them . . . you just don't want anything to happen to Jade.

And yet it has.

You rephrase that: you hope that she doesn't get worse.

You examine her afterward, taking off her bulletproof vest to make sure that she's alright. If anything she's gotten the wind knocked out of her, no bullet able to make it's way through the vest. The only bad part was that she hit her head on the rock, and you have no idea whether it caused any damage or if she got a concussion or anything. You glance down at her sleeping face, brushing any stray strands of hair out of it. She doesn't move, doesn't make even a sound as she rests there, lost in the world of unconsciousness. You feel your chest tighten a bit, and you remember that you had better get a move on if you ever want her to wake up anytime soon.

You place the vest back onto her securely, gathering up the rest of the items you pulled out of the bags and returning them to their original spot. You pull one of them onto your back and sling the other onto your shoulder, then sling both of the guns onto the other shoulder, hoping that you'll be able to manage carrying that stuff like that. You slide your arms under Jade afterward and lift her, making sure to support her weight as best as you can. You begin to walk then, pressing on forward out of the forest in hopes of finding the road again.

_Maybe if you hadn't taunted those guys like the cocky asshole you are they wouldn't have shot her,_ your mind nags at you.

Oh yeah? They were willing to shoot anything that got in their way, so they probably would've shot you too. Besides, Jade was wearing a bulletproof vest.

_But she might die now due to your negligence. She's bleeding and it's all your fault. And what if she hadn't been wearing a bulletproof vest? What would've happened then?_

You weren't about to fight with yourself about the matter, but in the end, despite you attempting to ignore your conscience, it was winning. You felt awfully shitty about the whole ordeal. It was your fault that you have a problem with being too cocky sometimes. You have this idea that you're strong and able to handle yourself because you're Dave Strider and you have the best skills out of all the soldiers in your sector. What does that matter when it gets in the way of the people you love remaining alive? Cockiness can get you killed, and more importantly, it can get everyone around you killed. And what would have happened if Jade hadn't been wearing the vest? You're not sure if you would have ever been able to forgive yourself ever again, and you might as well let the zombies get you at that point.

You feel your throat constrict and run dry, and you feel like you're going to be sick.

"I'm so sorry, Jade," you whisper to her as you step over some tree roots in the ground, "I am so fucking sorry I let this happen to you."

 

**Jade: Push your way amongst the people.**

 

_"Excuse me, but can you tell me--" No one seems to want to answer your questions, and you can seem to find a way out of anywhere as you, your grandpa, and Bec are pushed around._

_"Hey, that's my dog you fuckass!" Someone steps on Bec and you draw him close to you, nursing him as he whimpers. You forget for a moment that your grandfather is here, and you notice you've blatantly cursed in front of him. "Sorry for the language, Grandpa."_

_"It's alright, Jade. Just stick close to me and we'll be fine." You nod your head as you place a kiss atop Bec's head, standing up in order to turn back towards your grandfather, your suitcase in your other hand. When you do, you notice he's gone._

_"Grandpa?"_

_Your grandfather is no where in sight now, you can only guess having been pushed through the crowd unwillingly. With Bec by your side you begin elbowing everyone, not giving a care of whether or not they get hurt. Obviously the only person anyone cared about at the moment was themselves, so you had little tolerance and forgiveness to give._

_Screams erupted from the crowd and the pushing becomes violent shoving, and the shouts of the airport people attempting to direct traffic die down, becoming nonexistent. You're not sure what's going on, but you know for a fact that you don't like it. You're nudged along the way and decide to just flow with traffic, praying that you'll at least get somewhere. Screams still pierce the air as frantic shouts of, "I want to get out of here!" and, "Don't let them get the children!" are heard._

_"Who are they talking about?!" you shout aloud, but your words only fall on deaf ears. You shake your head as you continue being pushed along, eventually finding the way out of the outer ring of the mob. You're able to catch your breath finally, but your grandfather still seems to be out of sight. Piercing screams and shoving become more frequent, and you decide that now is a good time to take out your favorite travel companion._

_You unclip Bec's leash, knowing for a fact that he'll be fine without it. You toss your suitcase on the ground and unzip it, digging towards the bottom to find the case that your grandfather was able to convince the airlines to let you carry, most simply because you were the heiress to Atomic Industries and if they tried to pull any malarky underneath his nose then he wouldn't hesitate to press charges. You open up the case and pull out your rifle, which remains unscathed. You dig the bullets out of your bag and load it fully, rising up afterward and patting your leg to let Bec know to follow along beside you. You skirt around the mass to see what's happening, and when you do see it for yourself . . ._

_Your lunch almost lurches from your stomach out through your mouth. There are . . . you try to gather your thoughts, because you cannot believe the sight unfolding before you. Your first thought is cannibalism, then your second thought is purely zombies, and you almost want to say, "Ha ha, very funny guys. I know you're part of The Walking Dead cast just doing a demonstration or shooting a scene or whatever," but unfortunately, it's all too real. Actual undead, rotting human carcasses are jumping onto civilians, ripping chunks out of their flesh with delight as the bloody chaos unfolds before you._

_A lot of people seemingly are avoiding it, running away as fast as they can, but it's almost like one giant game of 'Cross the Ocean'. Some are just unlucky minnows, and their precious lives are terminated on the spot. Your mind draws back to your grandfather, and you begin searching frantically for him, scanning around to see if you can spot him, or just even hear him in the least--_

_"Grandpa!!!"_

_You find him, finally, and he runs up to you, joining you and Bec as quick as he can._

_"Did you see--"_

_"I did!"_

_"Gadzooks!"_

_You snort at his exclamation, only because you can never get over his outdated language, but you remember that now is not the time for any of that._

_"What are we going to do?" He strokes his chin for a moment, contemplating your next plan of action._

_"Let's just run, Jade. Even if you lose me, just keep running, far away from here. I need you to put those good survival skills to use, eh? You remember what Pop taught you?" You nod your head in understanding. "Good girl." He ruffles your hair a bit, placing a delicate kiss upon your forehead afterward._

_"You'll try to stay with me though, right?"_

_"Of course, Pumpkin. Through thick and thin." He turns towards Bec, patting his head. "You watch my Jade here if anything happens, got that, boy?" Bec cocks his head at him with interest and your grandfather chuckles. "Good boy. Nice dog."_

_Your grandfather grips onto your hand, then faces an opening amidst the mass of disarray, pulling you through it as quick as you can. You keep your other hand gripped onto your rifle, your eyes scanning back every few seconds or so to make sure that Bec is okay._

_"Alright, Sweetheart, we're almost--" It's almost entrancing for a moment, watching as a zombie soars above your head, and it takes you seconds to register that your grandfather is struggling as the zombie bites into his neck._

_"GRANDPA!!!!" you screech, pulling your rifle up immediately._

_"Just shoot, Jade!" he shouts, desperately trying to remove the thing from his neck._

_"I'm trying! I can't get a good lock on it!" you yell back, but he shakes his head._

_"No, Jade. Shoot." You slowly understand what he's asking and your jaw drops in horror._

_"I'm not going to do that!" you cry out. "I'm not going to--"_

_"Jade, listen to me. I need you to just breathe, and I need you to pull that trigger like I taught you. I'm already a goner, and you are my brave, brave girl. You pull that trigger, and you make sure everything's taken care of, and then you run, okay?"_

_"B-but--"_

_"Okay?" You breathe in and out, focusing your mind on the trigger, only the trigger because Jade you can do this you can do it it's not so hard it shouldn't be this hard--_

_Shots ring through the air and you run and you don't turn back even for a second, because running is the only thing you know how to do now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, another chapter! :)  
> So, I'm just gonna make the rest of the updates on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. That way if I feel the need to workshop them a bit I have plenty of time. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!


	24. Chapter 24

**Dave: Watch over Jade.**

 

It's hard for you to do that. _Extremely_ hard.

You're relieved that you were able to get her into a position of safety, but the hell if you knew how to help her. Well, you didn't, but you were at least able to find somebody who could. Part of you knows that she will be okay, but the other part of you wants to scream at the woman who's been tending to her that she's not doing enough. You also know that's a stupid notion to hold. You need to give Jade time to rest, but two days have already passed with little response from her and it's driving you insane.

You can't help but think that it's your fault she's in this mess in the first place. If you hadn't shot off your tongue like the cocky asshole you are, she wouldn't have her head wrapped to the nines in bandages right now. Those assholes pissed you off for thinking that they would even have the audacity to fuck with you. It just so happens that sometimes your tongue just rambles off words that you don't even mean. You wish it would ramble off the words you wanted to say, especially to . . .

Shit, it's too quiet in here.

You jump when Jade shifts in her sleep, her eyes shut as if she's experiencing something uncomfortable. You reach over to grab her hand in yours, gripping your fingers around her cool skin while you run your thumb over the top of it. You wouldn't normally do something like that if there were people around to see it, but you do it because the room is empty, and you do it because it's her.

These last few weeks had been interesting, being with Jade again. You had hoped more than anything that they would have given you time to reconnect, which they did, but they seemed to work a little too well for you. You were starting to harbor certain . . . feelings, feelings of which you tried desperately to push out of your mind. What the two of you had was history, and she probably didn't need you cracking open that old book again. It occurred to you on more than one occasion that she's probably not available, either. You never asked her, but you saw the way she and Jake interacted with each other. Paint yourself jealous, but you couldn't help but want to punch him in the face after that. You remember the bruised knuckles on your hand, the ones currently changing into a disgusting array of colors, and think to yourself that perhaps your punching days are over. _For now._

"Is she doing alright?"

You almost fall out of your chair when you hear Emmaline, the woman caring for Jade, enter into the room and you release Jade's hand from yours, rising up.

"Uh, no different than before," you answer folding your arms across your chest. You feel something on your shoulder, realizing not too long after that it's Emmaline's hand on your shoulder.

"She'll be fine, I promise. She just needs to rest for now, and when she's ready she'll wake up. We have food prepared, if you're interested," she says, her mouth curving upward into a kind smile. You peer over at Jade resting on the couch.

"Uh," you hesitate, "I'm good. I think I'll just stay here."

"I'll bring you food later, then. You'll need to eat in order to keep your energy up." Emmaline exits the room, leaving you alone with Jade once again. You take a seat in your chair, leaning your weight onto your knees as you watch over her. You feel obligated to stay here with her, to make sure she's okay. The last time you didn't watch her she got shot, so you're on high alert. You haven't gotten much sleep this week and you notice it catch up with you increasingly. You attempt to force your eyes open, becoming upright and rigid in the chair, but the battle becomes more and more difficult, your eyelids drooping with fatigue.

 

_Stay awake, Strider._

_Damnit, stay awake!_

 

~

 

_Okay, so you've gathered all the supplies you need. You've practiced for this shit like you're some sort of goddamn boy scout or something, except those guys ain't got shit on you. Well, they've probably got a few more practical survival skills on their belts, but you've got a box full of matches and an extremely sharp sword. You are going to show these zombies who is boss real quick._

_You would do that, except you are scared shitless and alone._

_You'd like to think that you're somewhat more prepared than most people for these sorts of situations, but you're currently locked up in your room trying to think of how to get out of this shit. You can't think of a goddamn thing to do because how the hell are you supposed to know how to deal with zombies? Sure, they make all these ridiculous pamphlets and shit for nuclear fallout and if people start eating people, but you don't really know until it happens to you. You wouldn't have ever thought that any of this was possible, anyway, but you've certainly been proven wrong. This is just the shittiest of all situations you could land yourself in._

_You become on high alert when you hear glass shatter downstairs and you jerk upright immediately, katana in hand, feet in a ready stance. You didn't care if you were scared or not--you were going to get out of this mess alive, even if it meant having to . . . well, you can't think of anything terrible that you haven't already done at the moment. You just know you're going to make it out alive._

_You twist the lock on your door knob and then twist it, your breath caught in your throat as you pull the door open ever so slightly. You keep even paces, making sure that once you're out into the hallway that you are on high alert. You could run into anyone and anything at this point, so it was foolish to keep any sort of guard down. You hear the sound of feet shuffling from downstairs, and with a lump in your throat you descend the stairs, making extra effort of remaining as quiet as you can manage. You creep further and further down, and as you get to the bottom you turn the corner and--_

_"AHHHHH!!!!"_

_"AHHHHH!!!!" Y_ _ou nearly lose balance when you're face to face with some random person, but after quick reaction time, you realize who it is._

_"Rose?" She lowers her kitchen knife when she recognizes you, placing it in a sheath she must've found somewhere._

_"Oh thank god," she sighs, drawing you into a hug. "I thought you guys were all goners."_

_"Nope, not this Strider. He intends to stay alive for as fucking long as possible. There's no way in hell that I'm not gonna fight my way through this," you tell her, withdrawing from the hug. She grins as she reaches out to ruffle your hair, and you swat her hand away from you._

_"That sounds like a Strider attitude. Good to know you still have it in you."_

_"Why didn't you call? I've been worried as hell that you were consumed by the 'Flesh' or whatever the hell they want to call them."_

_"The phone lines have been dead in our area. Besides, I think we both know that we'd be able to feel if the other is gone. We should have freaky twin sibling empathic powers, right?" You'd like to give her some sort of chuckle at her attempt to make the situation lighter, but you can't bring yourself to do so. You were pretty fucking worried over the state of you possibly having to deal with all this shit on your own because god there's no way your parents survived so how did she?_

_"You didn't . . . You didn't see Mom or Dad, did you?" Her violet eyes drop from you immediately, looking at the ground with regret._

_" . . . I did. They're . . . I took care of them." You understand what she means immediately, and although the news about your late parents was an inevitable, you just didn't want her to have to deal with that. Fortunately for Rose she's way better at dealing with situations like that than you are. She's pretty elastic in that way._

_"Yo, it'll be alright, okay? Look, we've got each other, and that's already some fucking luck right there. We'll make it through this, Rose." You place a hand onto her back and rub it reassuringly._

_"Yeah, you're right," she breathes, "We'll be okay. Who knows what the future has in store for us?"_

_"Uh, I think I know. A lot of pain and suffering and bull shit. Are you sure we wanna keep going? I dunno, sounds like dumb shit know that you've pointed it out," you remark. She shoots you a pointed look._

_"We're going to get through this, Dave. It's what Mom and Dad would've wanted. They raised two fucking strong as hell kids and we sure aren't going to give up just yet. I mean, if you really wanted to, wouldn't you have just gone through with it? I think you care a little too much about life to be unafraid of death." You hate it when Rose is right, and that's damn near always. She knew how to read you like an entire fucking library, because she could do that just as easily as reading the back of a book._

_"Whatever, Lalonde, let's just get going. I'm tired of hanging around this place."_

_"I couldn't have said it better myself, Strider. But I would suggest that we grab some supplies first. If we're going to be travelling, we will certainly need things in order to survive."_

_"There should be a couple of backpacks or whatever hanging around here. Find one and then start stuffing it with shit. I've already got my own stuff upstairs." She nods her head and departs from your side to go do as you instructed, while you ascend the stairs again to return to your own room._

_You open the door and find your bag waiting patiently for you, along with the sheath for you sword. You tuck it inside and leave it on the bed for a moment while you put the backpack on, then sling the sword across your chest onto your back. You take a look at your room one last moment, giving a silent goodbye to each and every thing you held dear before the zombie invasion happened. You say goodbye to your makeshift dark room, the one currently holding ironic selfies of yourself on the line. You say goodbye to the dead things sitting in jars that you once held so dear when you were just a lowly little shitty middle schooler. You finally turn towards your turn tables, running your fingers over them one last time. These were your favorites, and they helped you get through a lot of shit. Unfortunately for you, they won't be able to help you now. They'd only be a nuisance and a bitch to carry around. So you leave them behind once and for all, closing the door behind you gently when you're done._

_"Ready to go?" You're startled by the sudden appearance of Rose, but you recover quickly, moving your head up and down._

_"Sure as shit, Rose." You descend down the stairs of your own house one last time, the two of you giving it a once over before leaving it for good, ready to start a brand new life of running for as far as you can go._

 

**Jade: Wake up already!**

 

Your eyelids flicker open and you yawn as you push yourself up from the couch you're lying on. It takes you a moment to realize that you weren't sleeping on a couch before, or that you definitely weren't in a house to begin with. You had been outside for sure, you remember it clearly now. What had happened for you to end up here?

You start to panic when you think you and Dave might have been separated somehow, but when you feel something move beside you, you see that he's just asleep beside you, slumped over in his chair as he rests his arms and head atop the couch. You smile when you think that he must have sat by you the whole night, for whatever reason you're here for in the first place. You reach your fingers out, hesitant at first, but you begin to thread them through his vanilla-blond locks of hair, your cheeks warm.

_Good Dave. Loyal friend._

You attempt to shift yourself upward on the couch without disturbing Dave in his slumber, hanging your legs off the side once you've done so. Your fingers grip onto the edge of the cushions when you feel a pounding resound in your head, the blood rushing fast. You reach up to touch your forehead when you feel something resting there, and you discover not too long after that it is gauze. You must've hit your head or something, which would explain the headache. It might also explain why Dave's sitting so close to you. He only seems to do that when he's worried.

_How long were you asleep for?_

"Oh, you're finally up!" You hear an unfamiliar voice emerge from the other room and you start to panic, searching for anything and everything to throw if you're in danger. You only spot a tiny, middle-aged woman wearing a bright smile upon her face.

"Yeah, I am," you respond to her. "Who are you?"

"Oh, pardon me. I forgot that you have been asleep the past few days. I'm Emmaline. Your friend Dave brought you here himself." She extends her hand out to you and you grasp it, giving her a firm handshake before dropping your arm back at your side.

"I'm sure you might have been told, but I'm Jade Harley."

"Ah, yes. I've been the one tending to your injury there," she says, tapping the side of her head with her index finger. "That was quite a nasty blow you took. You're lucky you were wearing a bullet proof vest, otherwise you would've had two problems on your hand." You grip your stomach after she says that and you notice that the vest is gone. You vaguely remember being blown backwards and hitting something sharp, but then your mind goes completely blank.

"I don't have a concussion, do I?"

"Not that I can tell. I was hoping not, at least. There wasn't much I could do while you were sleeping. Are you experiencing a severe headache, nausea, dizziness, moodiness, or overall tiredness?" You do a quick check of yourself in your head.

"Hm. Now that you mention it, I do have a bad headache and I'm feeling really tired," you tell her. "I do have a concussion. Shoot."

"It's nothing to worry about! If you just relax for the next few days, you should be able to recover. I don't want you to strain yourself at all or move around much. You'd be warranting yourself more days of recovery than you might want if you do that. I can't get you ice at the moment, but I will get you a cool cloth to press against your forehead. I'll check your bandaids before I let you use it but your wound should be healed by now," Emmaline explains before exiting the room, leaving you alone with a sleepy (and drooly) Dave.

"I just want to get back on the road," you groan to yourself, leaning your head backwards before deciding against the idea. It only hurt your head a whole fucking lot. "Ow . . . "

"Whas happen?" You accidentally wake up Dave then, his head jerking upright as his glasses lie askew on his face. He wipes the drool from his mouth with his arm, fixing his shades afterward.

"Hey," you greet him, grinning widely. His face does not echo the same expression, his lips drawing into a tight line and his brows scrunching together on his forehead. He reaches out with his hand and cups the side of your face, leaning closer and closer towards you. Your heart begins racing and for a split second you think that _damn_ , he might actually kiss you--

"You're still hurting," he comments as he tilts your head to the side, noticing when you wince at the sharp shooting pain.

"Yeah, I've already established that," you huff, pushing his hand away. "I have a concussion."

"What?" He raises his voice when you tell him that, but you only shrug in response. It wasn't that much of a big deal. You've had your fair share of injuries that you received whilst mucking about on your grandfather's island. What's a concussion but just another addition to a laundry list of you playing the kid version of Jackass?

"I have a concussion. Don't make an ordeal out of it." Your response seems to incite anger in him because you can almost feel his piercing eyes on yours through his tinted shades.

"What, do you think this is a game? This isn't some sort of fucking joke, Jade! Concussions are serious shit!" His voice sounds forced and strained, and it scares you a bit.

"Why are you freaking out about this? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're the one with the concussion."

"Why are you being so goddamn difficult?" You stare him down, arms crossed and lips pursed, your concentration held steadfast until Emmaline interrupts.

"Here, Jade, I have that wet towel ready. Let me check your bandages." Dave sits back and let's Emmaline undo your bandages, but you can still tell he's on edge. Why was he being so overdramatic? Maybe overdramatic wasn't the exact term you were looking for. Why was he being such a . . . _stubborn asshole_? Yeah, that was much better.

"So, how long do you think we'll need to stay here?" Dave asks as Emmaline presses the damp cloth against your head.

"I'm not sure. You'll just have to wait until Jade recovers, which may take a few days, or even a few weeks. If you don't rush it, then she'll most likely heal faster. Here, you can hold onto this, now." Emmaline hands you the towel and you keep it in place against your head. "Just don't do anything that would add stress onto your body, Jade. Your brain needs to keep still so that it won't cause further injury. I'm going to go back to the other room, if you'll excuse me." She exits the room and you turn your head towards Dave, glancing over at him.

"She said not to do anything that would add stress to my--" you begin to remark, but Dave stands up, gritting his teeth.

"I heard her already. Look, I'm just gonna go take a walk and shit, okay?" He shoves his hands into his pockets and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.

Why was Dave being especially pissy today? You know he's prone to be a stubborn ass on more occasions than one, but you usually know cause of it. Right now you're dumbfounded, and it hurt your head even more to think about it. Dave Strider is dumb. Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb . . .

 

**Dave: Take a walk.**

 

Jade Harley is stupid. She is absolutely, irrevocably, without a doubt stupid. Why can't she just keep herself out of danger? Is it that too hard to ask of her? She drives you absolutely insane, making you worry for her all the time. She doesn't make life easy, that's for sure.

On the other hand, you got her into this mess, so why are you yelling at her? Shouldn't you be sitting right there with her, making sure she's okay? You'd like to do that, but you also know that everytime you look at her you get these pains in your chest, and fuck, do those dazzling eyes of hers know how to bore a hole into your soul. Every single time you think you're free of them they reel you right back in, and you're like a fish caught on her hook. She won a long time ago, but you still try to fight it. You still try to get off of that hook, but you're caught with no way out. You should probably apologize to her, now.

Maybe.

Your feet drag along on the way back, however, making the return tedious and painful. Your mind didn't want to let you admit defeat, because admitting defeat would mean surrendering to your feelings, and you don't know if you are ready to deal with that yet.

You hadn't strayed too far from the house (duh, there are flesh-eating zombies out there), but you slump onto the steps after your walk, stretching your feet out in front of you. Perhaps cooling off would make you feel a little less tense.

"I was hoping you'd be back soon." You're startled when a voice appears out of nowhere (this seems to be occurring more often as of late.) You quickly discover that it's only Jade, and she plops down near you on the highest step.

"Damnit, Jade, why are you out here? Aren't you supposed to be inside resting?" you reprimand her.

"Of course, but I wanted to see if you were alright. You've been acting weird, and I thought you promised you wouldn't do that." You say nothing to her in response, but when she shivers from the cold you unzip your jacket and peel it away from yourself, draping it over her shoulders.

"You're gonna catch a cold."

"Okay, _mom_ ," she quips, but hugs the jacket to herself anyway. "That doesn't answer why you've been acting strange."

"I didn't say I was gonna answer why." She pouts her lips, glaring at you.

"Why do you have to be so infuriating?"

"Why do _you_ always have to put yourself in danger?"

"I don't always put myself in danger! You're not even trying to not be a jackass right now, you know that? I don't even know what your problem is. Is it too much to ask that we have one conversation where you don't backsass me and try and tell me the truth? I think I deserve at least that." You know that once Jade Harley's put her foot down, there's no moving it or lifting it again. She's almost as stubborn as you are, and that pisses you off to no end.

"Fine. You wanna know what's up? I'm mad because I had to run my fucking mouth and then you got shot and injured your head and now on top of that you have a goddamn concussion! Are you happy now?!"

"Yes! That's all I wanted to know!"

"GOOD!"

" _GOOD_!"

After your pissing match ceases, the two of you sit there in silence, collecting your thoughts. She draws her legs tightly against her chest, resting her chin on top of her knees. You bring your outstretched legs back to you, planting your feet firmly on the ground as you rest your weight on your thighs. The prior tension between the two of you seems to have settled, and you exhaust a long sigh.

"Hey, Dave?" Your attention falls back onto Jade, her eyes looking out in the distance rather than set on you.

"Yeah?"

"It's not your fault. Those guys were just assholes and--"

"I know, Jade," you cut her off, "But--"

"But nothing! You need to stop giving yourself crap for things you can't take control of, okay?"

"Jade--"

" _Okay_?" You stare at her with uncertainty, but you know that she won't budge on the matter. As much as you were having a fucking jolly good time arguing with her over useless things, she needed to get back inside and rest. You didn't want to be the reason she couldn't recover properly if all the stress from the conversation was furthered.

"Okay." She raises a brow in surprise, mostly because she's used to you not giving in right away, and you shrug at her. "It's whatever. Now go back inside and rest on that couch. I'm not gonna have you fuck up your brain more."

She doesn't argue and rises from the steps, tossing your jacket back at you before walking back inside the house and closing the door behind her. You're left alone, and at the moment, that's the way you'd prefer it to be. Jade Harley was clouding your mind too much, and you couldn't think straight worth a damn. You hated the fact that she always had the upperhand, and no matter how much you fought against it she would always win.

So much for apologizing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so I'm a little late with posting this chapter? Like a week? I apologize, but this thing called 'life' interfered, and I had pretty much the shittiest week last week. Unfortunately I am rewriting the next two chapters (this one and the next) so that was part of the road block. By about Tuesday I had a pretty good idea that I would not have anything post for the week. 
> 
> But I'm back now! I only have this one done for now, so I have no idea when the next chapter will be done, but once chapter 25 is rewritten I can get back to a schedule because I am not rewriting anymore chapters. I can't believe it's so close to being finished!! There goes half of my year :O
> 
> Anyway, enjoy a couple of goofs (that really need to kiss and make up) fighting and enjoy the little bit of backstory that I was glad I was able to fit in. Most of their dreams are flashbacks, aren't they? Well, it's not the most exciting, plot-driving chapter in the world, but enjoy! :)


	25. Chapter 25

**Healer: Figure out what's going on.**

 

"What's happening?"

A shriek piercing the air had alerted your whole camp in the middle of the night, waking everyone up with a startle. You push your way through the crowd of women and men around you, making your way to see what the commotion is about. When you catch sight of the source of where the scream originated, your eyes narrow.

" _It's him,_ " one of the girls whispers to you, and you nod your head, the corners of your mouth twisted downward with displeasure.

"Why do you keep stealing my girls?" you ask the man plainly. He's struggling because of the bear trap he's caught his leg in, a precautionary you've set up around your camp as of late due to the disappearance of many young girls.

"We're taking back what's rightfully ours, sugar," he grins weakly, his yellow-stained teeth sending a shiver down your back.

"Yours? I'm sorry, I didn't realize that women were suddenly property, objects to be gotten." Your second in charge, Lucy, pushes forward, her voice bellowing as her fists clench with rage.

"Yeah, 'ours'. Women are supposed to do the cleaning and the cooking and the fucking," he grins sadistically, and you admit that even you might loose your cool in a second and punch the shit out of this guy. You hold onto your temper, however, trying to handle the situation as best as you can.

"You know, we set up these bear traps so that we can keep unwanted pests out. Considering that you're trapped in one, that must mean you're an unwanted pest. I suppose the only choice we have left is to let you stay there and bleed to death very slowly." He shoots you a nasty look, one that does not phase you whatsoever.

"You can't tell me what to do! I'll get one of these guys to help me out. You agree with me, right?" The guys around fold their arms, looking disapprovingly upon this scum of the earth man.

"Absolutely not," Duncan, one of the mentors to the younger trainees, declares.

"Why would someone agree to the morals some sadistic fuck follows? I mean, doesn't your group have better things to do than run some sort of sex trade in the middle of post-apocalyptic Earth?" Lucy growls. The man spits at her, and someone holds her back.

"We're being realistic. What's a bunch of stupid women know about life, anyway?" You take a few steps up to the struggling man caught up in the trap, his leg wounded hideously.

"I can promise you that I know more about anything than you do an inch in your body," you breathe calmly and cooly. "And if you know more than a few things in this world, then you should certainly be able to get yourself out of measly bear trap, let alone know not to get caught in one in the first place." You place your foot upon the leg caught in the trap, pressing your weight upon it. The man clenches his teeth as he moans in pain. " _Where. Are. My. Girls._ "

"You'll never find 'em. Most of 'em have been traded." You furrow your brows, folding your arms across your chest.

"Alright, I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice. Charles, if you would do me the favor of getting the doll's eyes?" Charles nods in acknowledgement, running off towards one of the tents.

"What, you're gonna try and kill me with a little girl's toy?" the man laughs.

"Oh, you only wish." Charles returns to your side holding a bag full of white berries with black dots on them. "This is doll's eyes, also known as baneberry. If ingested, this berry will invade your system quickly, sending you into cardiac arrest before killing you instantaneously. Is that something you might like? Or would you prefer to be left here to bleed to death, with possibility of escape?" All eyes are on you when you mention that last part, but you don't break eye contact with the perpetrator. You know full well what you're doing, and it would do everyone best to just watch as the scene unfolds. You watch as the man shifts in his spot uncomfortably. If he thinks he has a chance of escape, he'd rather not push your limits.

"Fine, I'll tell you where they are," he gives in, and you smirk.

"Excellent."

"There's three whole locations. I ain't got shit on where your girls have gone by now, but most of them were brought to Carter's. There's also Brannigan's and the last one is Birch's. They're hidden away, but Carter's is over at Mill Pond, Brannigan's is by Stone Brook, and Birch's is by Pine." You feel your stomach lurch a bit when he mentions the location of the last one, but you ignore it, because that is all in the past. It does no good to dwell upon old memories, especially when you've done such a good job of keeping yourself preoccupied in a positive manner. You were sure that you would be fine.

"Thank you so much." You then turn around, strolling slowly back to your own tent.

"Is that it?" someone calls out to you. You stop in your tracks, twisting back around when they say that.

"Oh, yes, I seem to have forgotten something." You make your way confidently back to the man, halting right in front of him. "Lucy, Duncan, Charles," you call out to them. They immediately understand what you want, rushing to the sides of the man to hold him in place. Duncan pinches his nose, prying his jaw open with his other hand.

"I thought you were gonna leave me be!" the man tries to shake off the three healers. You shake your head.

"I'm sorry, but I am not about to condone, in any sort of situation, the trafficking of young females. I don't know where your group gets off trying to continue such sick, twisted business like this, but you are not pardoned for your actions. Fortunately for you, baneberry tastes sweet." You lean forward, dropping a handful of the berries into his mouth. Duncan closes it immediately, and you turn away, because you know exactly what is going to happen, and even though it's a lot less messy and shocking as shooting him is, you still have committed a terrible, horrible act. Living in a zombie infested world will do that to you.

 

**Nomad: Travel.**

 

"Hey, do you actually have a name? I mean, I don't know exactly how your amnesia works or anything, but I was just curious about--"

"I do," you answer Chance, still focusing your attention ahead of you.

"You do remember it? What is it?"

"I'm sorry, but that information is classified." You twirl your sledgehammer in your hands a bit as you climb up the hill.

"Alright, I'm calling bullshit. You probably just made up some name on the spot just to be a jackass," Chance pouts.

"Don't curse!" Vivi slaps Chance hard on the arm, and you hear the sound of her hand smacking his bare skin.

"Ow! Jeez, Viv! Does it matter now, anyways? And you're one to talk!"

"Yeah, well I'm closer to being an adult than you are, and while you're under my guidance I am going to insist that you keep that gutter mouth to yourself!" You smirk, amused by the bickering the two siblings display. It sends a warm, familiar tinge through your body of something like that. You're almost positive that you had a sister or something close to it, because you can even feel the slap on Chance's arm.

"Okay, now that we got _that_ over with," Chance huffs, sticking his tongue out at his sister, "What's your name? I bet it's something cool, like Dragonir or something!"

"Dragonir?" Vivi raises her eyebrow speculatively at him.

"Yeah! Or like Blade or Jagger!"

"Nope, neither of those are correct. Actually, I'm just your plain, run of the mill guy. My name is as generic as it gets," you chuckle.

"Nick?" Vivi guesses.

"Nope."

"Max?" Chance takes a stab at the name game.

"Try again."

"George?"

"Nuh-uh."

"John?"

"What's that over there?"

Vivi and Chance shift their attention over the horizon, a big building coming into sight. To get a better view the three of you climb up to the side of the hill, hiding behind some trees for cover.

"It looks like . . . _oh no_ ," Vivi trembles when she realizes what's going on. It's the same group that tried to take her before you interfered, only more expansive.

"I can't believe there are guys out there that would do this," Chance says in disbelief.

"I can. We're seeing it right now. These fuckers are just guys who realized that no one was tapping into their moral code anymore so they did only what their underdeveloped brains could fathom. It's sick and horrific," you sneer, your lip curling upward.

"Are we going to do anything about it?" Vivi asks. You turn to her, a malicious grin spreading across your face as you pound your sledgehammer onto your hand.

"Hell yeah." Vivi and Chance both smile along with you, fist bumping you.

"Yes! I can't believe we get to be part of the action with the Nomad!" Chance fist pumps the air.

"It's only a title, kid. I'm not that great. You could do it to if you had enough chutzpah," you shrug.

"Yeah, but it takes guts to do what you do. You've travelled so far by foot, helped out so many people. By my standards, that places you in the book as a true hero," Vivi pats you on the back.

"Thanks," you breathe before pointing back towards the building. "We need to come up with a plan of action. Now, I'm not getting out of there until all of those guys are brought down and all those women are free. This is a huge job for just one adult and two kids, but I'm not going to stand idly by as these sickos get away with this shit. This is Operation: Liberation."

You realize then that Vivi and Chance aren't really equipped to take on a whole army of men that have been overpowering women for who knows how long, but you're confident in their abilities and yours as well. They're smart kids, and you know exactly how this has to go down.

"I've got an idea. I know we only have a couple of flashlights, but I think if we try and get a better look at the compound tonight, we'll be able to take care of it tomorrow. We need to figure out the layout of the building and how everything works, and then we'll take it down from the inside out," you pitch your plan to the two kids.

"What's the next part of the plan, if you don't mind me asking?" Vivi inquires of you.

"The next night we strike. I'll have you two take care of getting all these women to safety while I take down the guys in charge," you answer.

"But what if you don't make it out alive?" Chance asks.

"Then you get as many of those girls out of here and you run. Fortunately for you, I don't quite plan on dying anytime soon. I've still got loads of work to do, and if there's one of these compounds where they're basically performing human trafficking, then you can bet your ass there's one if not more of them."

"What happens to us when we get the girls to safety?" You place one hand on Vivi's shoulder and the other on Chance's shoulder, your expression straight and serious.

"You two don't need to worry about me. I want you to get them out of here, far away. As soon as you find at least some tools or something, just give them something to protect themselves with. There are plenty of groups out there that will be willing to take you in, so you just find someone and you stay with them, got that?" They nod their heads in reply. "I'm not going to say goodbye to you guys just yet, because we've still got at least one day left to spend together, but I want you to know that I've really enjoyed being able to travel with the two of you, no matter how difficult I've been. You two have really helped me out when I had none before. Thank you, guys."

Without another word Vivi pulls you into a tight embrace, with Chance following behind her. You smile warmly as you rest your chin atop their heads, soaking in the moment. You had been quite adamant about travelling alone before, but after Vivi's persistent nature goaded you to let them join your little caravan of one, you realize that, looking back, you wouldn't have dared say no. These kids were the only real friends you had now, and you were more than glad to have them. Sometimes it was best just to enjoy the things you had now rather than focusing on the things you once had.

 

**Jade: Get a check up.**

 

"Alright, follow my finger with your eyes." You do as Emmaline tells you, shifting your eyes back and forth slowly. "Good. Now, you're not experiencing any nausea, dizziness, tiredness, headaches, sensitivity to light . . . anything like that?"

"Nope," you shake your head.

"You should be good to go, then. I mean, you're more than welcome to stay, but if you'd like to leave I can let you go with a clean bill of health." Your eyes glance over at Dave, who is watching from afar in typical cool guy stance, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Things had gotten better between the two of you over the course of the week, but there was still something off about him. You just decided to sit back and let him be the insufferable prick he is until he realizes he's just being plain idiotic. You're not quite sure when that will be, though.

"Are you ready to go?" you ask him. He twists his head towards you, his face expressionless.

"Sure as shit."

"Okay then, I guess we'll get ready to leave," you turn back towards Emmaline.

"Very well. I let you two alone so you can get your things together." Emmaline leaves and you stand up from the couch, noticing Dave twitch a bit out of habit. In his mind you're still concussed, and any and all movement you make is detrimental to your health. You look over at him and he settles, allowing you to continue without interference. You find your sweater and slip it on, connecting the two metal pieces and then zipping up it so that it fits you comfortably. There's radio silence on Dave's end as you collect your things that have been scattered about the room from off the ground.

"You know, you're allowed to talk to me. We can have full fledged conversations if you want," you tell him.

"I could," he says, "If I wanted to." 

"Are you actually being an ass or are you doing it on purpose to piss me off? It seems like you're really good at that," you twist around to face him, your face contorted with displeasure until you notice you are face to face with him now. His breath is warm upon your skin as he leans down, a smirk apparent upon his face.

"It's anyone's guess," he murmurs, and a lump becomes stuck in your throat, your heart racing. The two of you hold each other's gaze for a good moment before he stalks off again, and you come to the conclusion that yes, he was being an ass. His mercurial attitude was throwing you a curve for the worst, because half of the time you didn't know if you wanted to kiss him or just punch him in the face. It was as if he was just testing out the boundaries to how far he could push you, taking a step further into the water with each success. It was working, and it was infuriating.

"So, where are we headed next?" you ask aloud, ignoring your previous interaction with him.

"Uhhh, let me check." He sticks his hand into his pocket and takes out a folded piece of paper, unwrapping it until it unveils a map. He traces his finger over it until he pinpoints your location, glossing over it for an answer. "Johnson Hospital. A bit aways away from here."

"A bit?"

"Yeah. We'll probably have to stop in between to rest or something."

"Do you know where my vest is?" You watch him walk off to another corner of the room to bend down and pick something off the floor before tossing it to you. You pull it on over your sweater and he mimics you, doing up his up without even looking. He notices you fiddling with yours and comes over to fix it despite your adamant refusal. As he looks down while latching it, his shades fall down the bridge of his nose, exposing the solemness in his eyes.

"You're upset," you blurt out, causing him to halt. He glances up and pushes his shades back up, leaving you back to guessing what his true emotions are.

" . . . No," he hesitates, and you know it's a bold faced lie but you don't press further on the matter this time. You've already had enough tension hanging in the air between the two of you. No sense in making more, especially for your supposed two day trip. He continues to fix your vest and then leaves you to yourself once he's done, finishing with gather his own things. You pull on your backpack and sling your gun over your shoulder, sitting on the arm of the couch while you wait for Dave to finish up. You feel a tug on your arm not long after and you follow Dave out of the room and down the stairs. The two of you say your thank yous and goodbyes to Emmaline and then part ways.

The air outside is a bit chillier than you remember it to be, but you aren't too phased by it, especially since you're wearing a comfy sweater to keep the heat clinging to your body. You and Dave keep a steady silence as you walk down the road, which you would be okay with, but you know he's been acting more out of character as of late. You know it has everything to do with you getting hurt a week ago, but he won't talk to you about it. He has a habit of doing that, even when you make him promise not to do shit like that.

"You know, I'm not dumb," you strike up a conversation, earning his attention.

"I never said you were," he replies, and you stop in your tracks and groan in response, throwing your arms up in the air.

"Ugh! When are you ever going to learn that you can talk to me? I don't know how many conversations I've had with you where it's always, ' _Dave, you know you can talk to me,_ ' and you say, ' _Yeah, I can,_ ' and then you DON'T TELL ME ANYTHING! Why do you have to drive insane all the time?!"

" . . . I don't know if I can answer that honestly." Your forehead feels as though a vein could burst out of it at any given moment, and you're really close to throwing that punch.

_You know what? Screw that._

You slip your gun and bag off your shoulders and draw your hand back, slapping Dave Strider across the face with all the force you can muster.

"OW!! GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, JADE?!" It all happens in a blur, but all you can focus on is the fact that your hand is searing with pain, and the fact that you just slapped Dave's cheek. It's kind of like in those soap operas where the woman finds out her man is cheating and dishes him a nice, steaming plate of slap revenge. You look over at Dave and see that the entire left side of his face is flaring red and that you managed to also knock his shades off his face in the process.

"You had it coming to you," you mumble under your breath, rubbing the sore skin on your palm. You have to admit, seeing him experience such a raw range of emotions from him right now, confusion to absolute anger, is absolutely hilarious. A chuckle escapes your lips on accident and his face contorts into utter disdain.

"What the fuck are you laughing about?! Like . . . What the hell, Jade?!"

"I dunno. I guess seeing you so disoriented and irate at the same time is just making me laugh. I've never seen you act this way before," you answer him. If he were a tea kettle, he'd be whistling with steam by now. "Oh, don't act like you didn't deserve it. You've been a complete asshole to me, more than what would be considered normal. So I returned the favor." He attempts to argue and shout even further but then stops himself, the befuddlement and ire fading from his face completely. His left hand is still pressed against his cheek, but his crimson eyes are glued to the ground as if he's guilty of something.

"You're right."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, you're right. I've been fucking terrible. I . . . apologize." He bends over to pick his shades off the ground and places them back on his face, concealing his eyes once again.

"I forgive you."

"What?"

"Oh come on, you heard me. I forgive you for being a dick. You are hereby pardoned of all your transgressions you committed in this past week. Here, give me that knife from your back pocket, it'll be a good substitute for a sword. I'll make it all official and whatnot," you say as you try to grab for his knife.

"No fucking way! You get your grimy paws away from my knife!" He wiggles out of his bag and gun holster, raising the knife high in the air and pushing you away with his hand afterward. You spend a full minute trying to take his knife away like a defender on a basketball court.

"C'mon! Just give me the damn thing!"

"Not on your fucking life, Har."

"It'll only be for a second!"

"Fat fucking chance--" He starts to say something but is cut off when you tackle him to the ground, straddling his hips as you wrestle the knife from his hand with success as you keep the wrist of the other hand secured against the asphalt.

"I got it!" You look down upon him, your face beaming. "Look at this, asshole--" Your face drops when you notice that Dave's face is completely flushed with color. "You alright?"

"Uh, sure," he says, but he's as stiff as a corpse, staring straight up at the sky.

"Dave?" You think that if he gets any redder, he might suffocate.

"Y-Yeah . . . Uh . . . Can you, uh, get up?" It takes you a second to realize what he's referring to. You're still straddling his hips, pressed up against his chest. You're making him _uncomfortable._ Now that you mention it . . .

You rise up immediately, dusting off your pants as you feel your cheeks grow warm with embarrassment.

"Sorry," you mutter as he picks himself up off the ground.

_Great, now I made it awkward. But wait, does that mean . . . ?_

You don't entertain the thought any further, remembering that the two of you have important things to do. You both pick up your bags and guns and shuffle off in silence, neither one of you daring to utter a single word.

 

**Dave: Die.**

 

Here lies Dave Strider, aged twenty-three years, because he could not handle having a girl sit on top of him.

Your brain reminds yourself that it's not just any girl, though, it's Jade Harley. Jade Harley, the girl who successfully created alternate energy resources for all of the sectors. Jade Harley, the girl who is about to develop a vaccine in order to cure and aid a lot of people. Jade Harley, the girl who . . . the girl who's making it incredibly hard to not want to pin her against a wall and-- _FUCK THAT'S A LOT OF ZOMBIES._

"Jade, get back!" you shout to her, pushing her aside with your arm as you pull your gun off your shoulder, shooting at the hoard gathering in front of the two of you. You should've known better than to push the limits to which you could stay outside. It was already getting darker and you needed to find a place to rest for the night, preferably away from the Flesh. Jade appears by your side and begins shooting the zombies back as well, but you can't help but feel a twinge of fear run through your mind. "Jade, I said get back!"

"What, are you kidding? There's no way I'm gonna let you fight these bastards by yourself! You and I both know you can't hold them off! What is with you lately?" She ignores your order and continues shooting at them, and you want to protest but you don't. You watch her out of the corner of your eye just in case.

"Shit, these fuckers are resistant," you comment as you shoot.

"I know. It's like they've gotten . . . " She shudders at the thought, and you know exactly what she means. They've been slowly adapting, and you didn't notice until just now. Soon your gun is out of bullets, and unfortunately for you there isn't much capacity to fill it up right now. Jade's runs out not too long after, and she looks to you with slight panic. You get an idea, but you know she's not gonna like it.

"Alright, let's go," you tell her as you scoop her up, and although it's a bit difficult, you're still able to manage.

"Dave, put me _down_!!" she shouts, but you ignore her and take off, trying your best to get around the mass of zombies trying to get a tear out of your flesh. She shuts up when she realizes you're not going to stop and rings her arms around your neck, holding on for safety. You step as quickly as possible, something you've always been able to do effortlessly ever since you were younger and your brother trained you. It's a daunting task dodging around zombies and weaving in and out of trees, but you're still going strong.

"Keep an eye out for somewhere," you huff to Jade, and she extends her finger, pointing to a lone, old faded-white house.

"There!" You nod your head and move towards it, outrunning the zombies just enough until you're on the steps. You set Jade down right after, and she stumbles but then regains her balance, tugging you inside. "C'mon, we need to go!"

You follow her inside and she shuts the door, locking it to the best of her ability. You and she silently agree to board up any and every entrance in the house, placing old boxes or pieces of furniture in the way so that you're well guarded. Jade finds you and points towards the hallway and mouths, 'bedroom', and you follow her inside, shutting and locking the door behind you once you're inside. You finish securing the inside, remove your vest and shoes, and then collapse on the bed, trying to catch your breath. The bed lurches underneath you as she plops down next to you.

"That was intense, man," you pant, staring up at the ceiling. Jade is quiet, and for a second you become worried that she might've gotten bit or something, but you quickly dismiss the thought. They didn't get close enough to inflict damage on either of you, and she'd be in far worse condition if she had.

"What's with the silence? I thought that was my job," you tease, but she finds no humor in it.

"Why are you being so overprotective? You know I'm more than capable of handling myself. You've seen me with a gun," she finally pipes up, her moss eyes resting on you and her forehead creased with worry lines. You heave a sigh and sit up, resting your weight back on your hands.

"I was . . . " you attempt to get the words out, but you've never been good with admitting how you truly feel.

"Yes?" You really don't want to tell her, but her pleading eyes make you weak, and a lump forms in your throat. You hang your head, not making eye contact with her.

" _I was worried about you,_ " you mumble.

"What?"

"I was worried about you, okay? Ever since you got hurt last week I've been freaking the fuck out thinking that if that ever happened again, I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. I didn't want you to get hurt because of something I could easily prevent. I . . . I can't lose you. Not again." She stares at you blankly for a moment before erupting into a burst of laughter, throwing her head back.

" _That's it?_ " Your jaw drops, because is this girl for real? Is she _laughing_ at you for you confessing to her that you care about her?

"I'm not sure why this is fucking funny to you," you bellow, grimacing. She stops laughing immediately after, looking at you with wide eyes.

"Oh no! Dave, that's not what I meant at all! I wasn't laughing at you because of that. I've just been worried all week that I did something to really piss you off or that you had some terminal disease or something worse. I didn't . . . I'm sorry," she apologizes, but then you feel bad for being mad at her in the first place. It wasn't her fault that you had a hard time communicating. You were raised with poor socialization skills.

"No, it's my fault. I should've just told you. It's just . . . I dunno, I always get scared that I'm gonna say some stupid shit and it'll upset you and then you'll be out of my life just like last time," you tell her, leaning forward to grip the edge of the bed. Something touches your skin and you see that it's her own hand gripped tightly around your hand.

"Dave, I would never leave you. I mean, you may be an asshole sometimes, but don't you think I would've left by now if what you said was true? I may not always know why you act the way you do, but I know it's who you are and that's all there is to it. I've always been all in, ever since we met." A pearlescent smile is flashed your way from her, and _god_ it's the most perfect meeting of lips to teeth you've ever witnessed. That's when you realize that you love every single inch of her without a doubt, and really, when did you ever stop loving her?

"Fuck it," you say aloud, and before she has time to even ask what you mean you're drawing your lips against hers, drinking in her saccharine taste you missed so goddamn much. Her hands snake their way up to the back of your head, one placed on your neck and the other caught in your hair as she melts like butter in your hands. Her soft lips press up against yours, feeding hungrily off your kisses as you draw her in tighter against your body. It's nothing like the first kiss the two of you shared when you were awkward teenagers kissing like liplocking had just been invented as of yesterday. No, you and she know each other as if you took ten different college courses on them, graduated with honors in that area of expertise, got your master's degrees in each other's bodies. You nip affectionately at her lower lip with your teeth, something that, like before, has guarantees you a gentle, satisfying moan from her. Your lips move and trail light, feathery kisses down the length of her neck, but then stop for a moment, allowing the two of you to catch air back into your lungs. You press your forehead against her chest and close your eyes, allowing the moment to soak in.

" _Oh, that's what you meant,_ " she says softly, chuckling as she threads her fingers through your hair. She hums a barely audible tune under her breath but you recognize it right away, a tune only made for you.

"I missed this so fucking much," you tell her, but she places a finger against your lips, tilting your chin up towards her. She reaches down and removes your shades, tossing them on the floor because she knows you won't mind a bit. Your only focus is her and only her--Jade Harley, an angel in the flesh.

"You talk too much," she breathes, her lips barely touching yours now. You readjust her so that she's on top of your lap and she leans in and kisses you, feeding off each kiss as electricity flies between the two of you. Her skin becomes molten against yours as the heat rises and your mind becomes numb because you're feeling pure, unadulterated bliss--

"I love you, Jade."

The words slip out from your mouth, and you never told yourself to say them but you're okay with that. You want her to know that what you're feeling is real, that you're more than willing to share everything with her if that's what she desires. Her heart races beneath miles of skin and bone, and her brilliant, stunning eyes crinkle with the curves of her lips.

"I love you, too, Dave," she echoes, her beaming face making your head spin. You try to capture every moment of how perfect it is to be with her, because she is yours and you are hers and there is nothing so simple as that.

You pull her back against you and present her with deeper, passionate kisses, a low, throaty growl escaping your own lips. She wiggles your jacket over your head and places your hands on her zipper, demanding you do the same. You undo it and toss it on the floor, your hands fumbling as you work on unbuttoning the shirt beneath it afterwards. She tugs you further up the bed by the hem of your collar and coaxes you to lie on top of her. You do so and get your arms and legs tangled in the mess of hers, and words become non-existent between the two of you. Everything left unsaid is expressed in your exchange, and your mind becomes clouded with just one thing:

Jade Harley, Jade Harley, _Jade Harley._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got this one done a lot more quickly because I didn't have to redo the entire chapter, so yay for that! Since the rest of the whole fic is already done, I am going to go back to posting Monday, Wednesday, Fridays (unless life happens again). Regardless, the entire thing will be finished within a span of two weeks! I mean wow, that's thirty-one chapters. I still cannot believe I invested my time into writing this.  
> Alright, I hope you enjoy probably my most anticipated chapter (for me) where Dave gets slapped by Jade for being an ass and then they finally get together! (*phew*)


	26. Chapter 26

**Dave: Rise and shine.**

 

It's like nine in the morning and you're feeling pretty goddamn blissful, as if all the stress that had been procuring in your veins had suddenly just disappeared. You feel something shift under your arm, and suddenly you feel fucking _euphoric_ , because that something is goddamn _Jade Harley_. She nuzzles her head into your chest, her onyx hair cascading all over the place. You think that if zombies had to choose any point in your life to just end you, right now would be a good time because you could die happy knowing that she was in your arms. There was just something about Dave Strider that always seemed to be better when paired with Jade Harley.

"Quit hogging all the blankets," she mutters, half-awake half-asleep as she tugs on the blankets shrouded over the two of you.

"What, are you cold?" you ask her as she pulls them over herself.

"Nope, just tired. I prefer to stay wrapped up like a burrito, thank you very much." You tug all of the blankets over to your side then, leaving her bare and exposed.

"Whoops." . Her fatigued eyes squint open, glaring at you.

"Hey, I was using those." She rolls over you in order to grab them from you, the feeling of her skin rubbing against yours giving you goose bumps. You allow her to take them, and when she does she presses up against you, keeping the two of you entangled together tightly. You play with the strands of her hair absentmindedly as her chest moves up and down, a dozen yawns erupting from her mouth.

"Who gave you the authority to be so goddamn adorable?" you ask her, and she peers up at you with soft moss eyes, her mouth drawn into a beautiful curve. You can't help but think that you're so fucking lucky right now to wake up next to the most gorgeous girl in the entirety of the goddamn fucking universe. If you had the choice, you'd spend the rest of your life with this girl.

Hm.

You  _would_ spend the rest of your life with her, wouldn't you? You take a look at the metal chain hanging off your neck and suddenly an idea crops up into your mind.

"Uh, Jade?"

"Hm?"

You tug her chin towards you as you kiss her again, not as hungrily as last night, but instead a soft, delicate, tender kiss, a sort of 'good-morning-thanks-for-waking-up-next-to-me-with-no-clothes-on' kind of kiss. You end it by placing your lips on the bridge of her nose, then on the top of her forehead, sitting up in bed after that to face her.

"So, Jade Harley," you begin, clearing your throat. She watches you carefully, holding your gaze, and a warm smile spreads across her face as she reaches over to lace her fingers with yours, her thumb tracing the skin atop your hand.

"So, Dave Strider."

"Okay, here's where it gets complicated and I want you to listen to me fully because I've thought this over and over and if I don't tell you then I'd be fucking stupid," you continue. "So here's the thing, I love you, Jade Harley. I mean, to be honest, I can't remember a time when I didn't love you. You're like, the sun to my moon and the cold to my hot and you know exactly how to make my head spin. I care about you so goddamn much.  The last five years have probably been the most difficult years of my life, and you've seen me at my lowest. Letting you go that day was so fucking hard, it hurt so badly. My world is so shitty when you're not in it." Her eyebrows arch over her eyes, her eyes wide and crinkling.

"Dave, I love you, too," she breathes, leaning forward to kiss you, but you stop her.

"Wait wait wait, I'm not done here," you tell her, pushing her gently with your hand back to where she was sitting. You run your fingers through your hair a moment, uttering a small, " _Shit,_ " before clearing your throat and proceeding. "Uh, anyway, I love you, and no amount of time between us could ever change the epic relationship we have. I mean, it's pretty goddamn epic, and it would put even, like, the Princess Bride to shame. And it's even more amazing, because every single goddamn time we meet it's like one big, tragic ballet, where we're destined to have these godawful lives but for some reason we can't fucking stop dancing with each other."

" . . . Where are you going with this, Dave?" she asks, not worried, just curious. You tug your dog tags off your neck, taking her hand before placing the metal into her hand, closing her fingers around it.

"I fucking love you, Jade Harley. I fucking love you with every ounce of my goddamn being because you're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I don't ever want to let that go." She watches you with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open in a tiny 'o' as she presses her fingers to her lips.

"Dave . . . I . . . oh my gosh, are you proposing to me?"

"Hell yeah, I guess I am. I would get on the floor, but I frankly do not want to get out of this bed right now and I am also not wearing any clothing so that would be a hella weird proposal," you say, receiving a bubbly giggle out of her. "So, Jade Bertha Harley, will you stay with me for the rest of our waking days in this zombie infested world?"

"Dave, that's not my middle name."

"I know, you just never told me your middle name so I improvised."

"That's such an ugly middle name! It sounds like something you would call a cow! And I _so_ told you my middle name. I even know yours!"

"Sure, whatever you say."

"Stephen."

" . . . Okay, so you may or may not know my middle name, but--"

"It's Augusta. Just keep going," she stops you from rambling, getting you back on topic.

"Alright, I totally knew that." She rolls her eyes at you, and you smirk at her. "So, Jade _Augusta_ Harley, will you do me the honor of staying with me for the rest of our godforsaken days?" She nods as she throws her arms around your neck, pushing you back against the bed again, lying on top of you.

"I'd like that, more than anything in the world," she breathes, pressing her mouth against yours sweetly. You do her the honors of placing the dog tag necklace over her head, pulling her hair out from underneath it afterward.

Score one for Dave Strider.

 

**Jade: Get dressed.**

 

"Ughhh, do we really have to leave yet?" You lean against Dave who is busy buttoning up his own shirt. You tug his black jacket upward on your neck, nestling your nose into it at the same time.

"C'mon, Jade, we've been over this. The quicker we get back on the road, the quicker we can get supplies and go back and celebrate because no one is sick anymore. Besides, we're really pushing our luck here right now, what with us being almost three weeks behind," he reasons with you.

"We don't have to leave _yet_ ," you mumble, leaning over to play with the collar of his shirt. You look at him and notice a light shade of red creeping up his cheeks.

"We can do that any old day, Harls," he gulps. You like being able to mess with him, because at the moment he's really easy to mess with. You had quite the tactical advantage over him, but even you knew that wasn't going to change Dave's mind. You chuckle, placing a peck on his cheek.

"Of course we can."

" . . . I mean, we could probably make time for at least one . . . _go around_ . . . " Dave adds after careful consideration.

"Sorry, bud, like you said, we gotta go," you tell him, ruffling his hair. He pouts a bit to be dramatic before smirking, rising from the bed afterward.

"Alright, you ready?" You nod your head.

"I'm as good as gold," you give him a thumbs up.

"Only a couple more trips and we can go back," he says, attaching his vest to himself and then pulling his backpack over his shoulders.

"I hope they are okay. I feel kind of bad for getting my head hurt like that. I mean, maybe we should've brought along more people or something . . . " you trail, but Dave places a hand against your cheek, moving his shades atop his head so you can see his eyes.

"Jade Harley, you have done so much good shit for this world. You getting hurt was only the assholes who shot you's fault. Besides, yeah, it's bad that people are falling ill, but people in this world are already dying. It's stupid dumbasses like us who think the best option is to keep living instead of facing the inevitable. Don't think for a second that if it takes you longer to get back that you're not helping. Also, like hell we need more people. Our team consists of a guy who spent the last five years perfecting the art of getting his body to peak physical condition and a toddler-trained sharpshooter who is a super badass. I think they'll be okay waiting a little longer."

"You're right, I'm just being silly. They'll be fine a few more days without us, and even then so, having a vaccine is better than no vaccine at all," you agree, taking his hand in yours. "We should probably get going, though. We're wasting daylight." He pushes down his shades back onto his nose and the two of you start pushing the barricade from the doorway so that you can exit the room. You do the same when you get to the front door, and once you've made sure the area is clear outside you take Dave's hand in yours, making your way back on the road for your next trip to another zombie-infested hospital.

 

**Nomad: Infiltrate the establishment.**

 

"Ladies, amirite?"

You twirl a toothpick around in your mouth, hands shoved into the pockets of your (stolen) Brannigan jacket, ones that only the men "working" here (you couldn't call it much of working as it was sitting around on their lazy asses berating women) wear. They're bland, army issue coats, stiff as can be. As far as you can tell, they hardly wash them ever.

"You're telling me, Rook," a fat, bald man named Paul sitting at the table across from you says. He's the second in command here at Brannigan's, and you absolutely detest him. Scum of the earth couldn't even begin to describe him, especially after all the stories he's told about his 'conquests', which make you want to vomit right then and there. You were easily able to get in, firstly because the men here are fucking idiots, and secondly because all you had to do was ask. It was that simple, almost too simple. You knew taking down thirty of them by yourself would be a hard feat, but you try to remind yourself that as long as you distract them long enough, the women will be able to get out of here and not suffer anymore physical, emotional, and mental damage.

Besides, death had since lost it's grip on your psyche. You had no fear for it, because to die would be an awfully big adventure. (Something about that saying sent a weird chill down your spine, but it wasn't anything you were going to or had the time to worry about.) If anything, the only thing you were afraid of was living the rest of your life piecing together a new you. You didn't like that you knew few things that weren't already obvious, such as your name, your distaste for peanuts (you say distaste, but the better term would be 'allergic to'), your terrible eyesight. As far as things go though, you didn't know really anything about you. You're not even quite sure who you were as a person before your amnesia, and you'd give anything to get that back.

"So, did ya get a good look at number forty-four? She's quite the looker," a scrawny guy asks. You feel your gut wrench in disgust, but you maintain a neutral expression.

"Sure I did. I get a good look at all of them all the time," the bald guy replies, a smirk upon his face. You sit there tapping your foot, waiting desperately for the signal from Vivi. They were busy removing all the ladies silently from their prisons, hopefully, after knocking out the guards watching them. You were lucky enough to find a panel at the side where they were being kept, and once you removed it, it proved to be an easy and silent escape route. Vivi and Chance were to remove the women to a designated hiding spot, then Vivi would return, give you some sort of signal, then you would attack. It was as simple as that. It also helped that you removed any and all weapons and ammunitions that they kept out in a special shed, save for their own hand-held guns. It would be a walk in the park.

"You guys wanna play poker?" You're brought back to the conversation when some guy named Tony holds up a pack of cards, waving it around. Ugh, poker. You never played the game, but for some reason you just really hate it.

"Fuck yeah, let's go!" Tony begins shuffling the deck while another guy picks up a bag of colored chips, passing them around. You eye your hammer sitting in the corner of the room warily, hoping that you'll be able to reach it in time when you're given the signal. You also hope that the signal will come soon, because you are sick to death of hanging around these bastards.

"What's your play, Rookie? Are you in or do you fold?" You glance at the cards handed to you. It's a pair of jokers. You raise your brow at the table, wondering what kind of game they're playing at. Even if you can't remember a lot, you know for a fact that jokers are not supposed to be in the deck at all. You look up at the window and notice someone giving you a thumbs up. It's time.

You fold politely, muttering that you have to go get something as you excuse yourself from the table. You stroll quietly over to the hammer, picking it up by the handle slowly, making precise movements so as to not alert anyone. You hear a click from behind you and you turn, meeting the barrel of a gun.

"That's a nice hammer you've got there, Rook," Paul says with a grin. "It's a damn shame we're gonna have to take it from you after we kill you." He pulls the trigger on the gun, only to be left with the unsatisfying sound of nothing happening. It's your turn to draw your mouth into a mischievous smirk as you silently thank Vivi and Chance. You were almost a goner.

"It's a damn shame you guys are fucking idiots. If you knew there was something sketchy about me, then you should've known to check your own weaponry. It goes to show how easily the mighty fall," you quip. The rest of the group tries the same thing Paul did, only to be met with the same fate. The group then decides to jump you, and you swing your hammer, hitting each of them with accuracy. Crimson blood flies through the air, splattering everywhere, including all over yourself. You ignore it, because you figured this would happen. What's a little blood to you anymore?

"Paul, you better come see this--" A man comes running into the room, out of breath. He stops when he notices you standing amongst a pile of his fallen comrades. "MEN!" he calls out then, but you manage to be swift enough to meet him, swinging your hammer of justice, the metal meeting his skull cracking the bone. He falls to the ground, and you take a moment to breathe. Eleven down, nineteen more to go.

You sprint out of the room and down the hallway, knowing fully that there's no guarantee that all of the men had their ammunition cleaned out by your accomplices. You remain focused, however, determined to burn this place to the ground. When you notice the gasoline canisters in the corner of one of the rooms you pass by, suddenly things get a lot more interesting. You leave them be for the time being, continuing down the long stretch of hallway. You halt when you hear voices coming towards you as you back into another room.

"I heard Mark's call. I'm telling you, something is up."

"No, that's probably Mark just tryin' to pull one over our heads. He'll be fine."

"Don't you think something strange is going on? I mean, Paul let that kid in, and he knew something was up. He was planning something today."

"Paul can handle it."

"I don't hear them doing anything. No gunshots, no nothing. Something is up, man."

" . . . I suppose you're right. Let's go."

You hear the shuffling of footsteps against the tile floor and you walk into the center of the hall, bracing yourself. The group of men stop when they spot you, blood dripping from your hammer.

"You've stepped into the wrong goddamn neighborhood, kid," one of the men warns.

"You've got that right," you spit, gripping the handle of the hammer tighter in your hands. All at once the men draw their weapons, and bullets go flying in the air. Most of them are terrible shots, and you're able to crack several of their skulls, sending them to the ground. You reach the last of the men when something pierces your side, making you feel immense pain. You clench your teeth, feeling your side where the bullet hit.

"Take that, you son of a bitch!" one of the guys yell. You notice that the other bullets have stopped. They've run out. You bite back the pain, teeth pinching the inside of your cheek as you attempt to steady your own breathing. You gain up the momentum and the men try to brace themselves. They hit the ground soon after, leaving you in a deserted hallway with a lot of dead men. You clutch at your side, doubling over from the pain in your system.

"Is anyone in here?"

You hear a quiet voice emerge from the end of the hallway as a figure enters into sight. You recognize that the voice belongs to Chance, who is now running to meet up with you.

"Are you okay? Oh my god, you're bleeding!" he exclaims, reaching out to you frantically. You push his hand away weakly.

"It's okay, Chance. I just got hit by a bullet. I'm fine, just go and take those women away. I'll be good," you cough, wincing as it stings your side.

"No way. You've got too much to do, still. I'm not letting you die, here!" He turns and starts jogging back down the hallway, leaning out the frame of the doorway. "VIVIAN!" A minute later his sister appears, or at least you assume so. Your vision is starting to go a bit blurry, even with your glasses on.

"Holy shit, is he going to be okay?" Vivi asks Chance, and suddenly they're back at your side.

"I'm not sure. Let's get him back to our campsite. I think some of those women mentioned they were healers, so they might be able to help," Chance tells her.

"I'm fine guys, really," you mutter, but Vivi shakes her head, her eyes beginning to water as she points to your feet.

"Chance, you grab his feet. I'll lift him up by the shoulders and we'll get him to safety. You're gonna be okay, alright?" You wanna tell them that he's wrong and that it'd be better just to leave you and go, but they are too determined to get you out of here and you are way too weak. You rest the sledgehammer on your chest and close your eyes, your breathing becoming shallow as you're hoisted away.

 

**Nomad: Swat away giggling ladies.**

 

"Would you guys get out of here? You're making me nervous," you tell the younger girls standing behind the woman personally attending to your bandages.

"Girls, would you mind?" Lorraine shoos them away with her hand. They scatter, leaving the two of you to silence.

"I can't thank you enough for helping me out. I would've been pushing up daisies if any of you guys hadn't been trained healers," you tell her.

"Well, you're lucky it only grazed your side. If anything, you just lost a lot of blood, but not enough that you're going to keel over. You're a lucky man, that's for sure," she smiles, wrapping the bandages carefully around your abdomen.

"You call it luck, I call it brazen stupidity. I am way too cocky," you sigh, wincing a bit when she accidentally touches a tender spot.

"Sorry," she apologizes, going about it a little more carefully. "And you're not cocky. You're brave, and you just wanted us out no matter what. You don't give yourself enough credit for being a real hero."

"Heroes don't kill people."

"Sure they do. And you know that there's no other way to stop them. Those men, they aren't like you. They don't get that what they're doing is wrong. They're deranged and amoral people, and they've chosen their path. As a hero, you going to make choices and sacrifices that challenge you and make you question yourself. Sure, in a perfect world none of this would ever happen. But if you haven't noticed, we're far from a perfect world. You'd think the fate of the world would bring people together more, but it doesn't seem to work like that. Some people can't handle this world, and they lose themselves in it. And even if they're still human, they sort of become zombies themselves. They're still victim to the disease of sin. We all are, really, but how we come out of it, how we react--that's what makes us who we are."

You sit on the words Lorraine has told you for a moment, letting them soak into your mind. You realize that everything she said is right. You're going to have to make some choices in life that make you question yourself, make you doubt if you're really going about life the right way. But you can either choose to dwell on it and destroy yourself in the process, or you keep moving forward.

"Alright, I think I'm done, here. You should be good for the most part, but at least you're doing way better than you were," she says. "Are you sure you need to leave today? I think it goes without saying that we'd love you to stay with us."

"I need to get a move on. I've still got two more places to take down, and they're pretty far away. If I don't head out today, that means a longer amount of time those women have to be locked up like that. I don't like it," you explain. She nods her head in understanding.

"Very well, I understand. You just let us know if you need anything. I know we'll be hard to find, what with us moving around a lot, but you've always got a home with us." She rises from the ground, tossing your shirt over to you as she dismisses herself to meet up with the others. You notice that she's done a good job of getting most of the blood out of it, though it still is dark in a few places. You pull it over your head and stand up, noticing it's a lot easier than it has been the past few days. You find your hammer not too far away, it having been cleaned as well. You find where most of them are gathered up, with Vivi and Chance as part of the group. You make your way towards the circle, pushing your way towards the center of it.

"Hey, guys. I thought I would just let you know that I've gotta go. Thank you so much for all that you've done for me, and please, stay safe. I am glad to have met all of you, and I guess, well, good bye now." You turn to start moving out toward the road, but you feel a tap on the shoulder. You turn and find Vivi and Chance, who are both in tears.

"You're gonna leave without giving us a hug?" Vivi asks. You smile and pull them both into a tight embrace, squeezing them with all your might you can muster without hurting yourself. You let them go afterward, giving them a moment to say their words before you part ways.

"Thanks for watching over us. If it hadn't been for you, none of us would be here right now. I wouldn't have Chance, and Chance wouldn't have anybody. I'm so glad he found you. Goodbye," Vivi tells you, wiping off her cheek with her forearm. You turn towards Chance.

"Alright, there's one thing I've gotta know: what is your name?" You motion for him to lean forward so you can whisper it into his ear. He looks at you afterward, a brow raised.

"That's your name? Well that's boring." You shrug your shoulders.

"Exactly. It's no fun when you don't know the second part," you chuckle, ruffling his hair. "You be good. You listen to your sister, and you two stay out of trouble, okay?" They nod their heads with understanding, waving as you turn to go back to the broken rubble that is the road, ready to kick more asses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, so five chapters left after this, eh? Exciting! And that DaveJade proposal was good, no? It was exciting to write because I love those too so much and yay. I'm glad that I'll be able to put these chapters out a little bit earlier in the day too since I don't have to change much about them before I post them. It makes my life easier. Alas, I'll be sad when the whole thing is posted and done, but I will also be happy that I can do more stuff. Yay!  
> Anyway, thank you to all who read this and thanks for the kudos and keep reading as always! :)


	27. Chapter 27

**Jade Harley: Hold Dave's hand.**

 

You are already holding his hand, quite happily, might you add. You liked this whole "being engaged to Dave" thing, and you could definitely get used to it. It was like before only the two of you didn't have anymore tension hanging in the air and you could be open with each other and be as close to each other as you wanted and it was okay. You know you had a task to focus on, but even you should be allowed to feel happy.

You are also very sure that Dave's always been your soul mate, ever since you met him. You know it's really cheesy, and the two of you have certainly had your fair share of bumps in the road of life, but when you were with him, it just felt right. You'd like to think he felt the same way, but even you knew that he would never state that out loud.

"Whatcha thinkin' about, Harley?" he asks, tugging you down from cloud nine back to earth. You smile up at him, leaning your head against his shoulder.

"That I'm really _really_ happy right now." He smirks, resting his head against yours.

"Yeah, me too," he hums, and the two of you are just so in sync. "You're the best goddamn thing to happen to me, you know that?" You feel your face grow warm and you press your lips against his cheek.

"You are too sweet."

"You're right. You're pretty lucky Rose or John isn't here because I would not be this sickly sweet around them. I'm too damn cool for that." After he realizes what he's said, he grows quiet, setting his jaw as his smirk drops into a grimace. 

"I miss them, too," you tell him, rubbing his arm with your free hand.

"I just want them to be okay. I mean, Rose has always been my partner in crime. Sure, we fight a lot like regular siblings and get on each other's nerves like no other, but not having your twin around is hard. I miss her snarky comments and the way she'd piss me off like no other. I just want her to be happy. And I hope that dumbass John is okay, too. He's been a pretty good bro to me, especially when things got shitty. He sticks around like no other person, and he's hella loyal to boot," Dave laments.

"I wish they were here, too. I hated not having any of you around the last few years. It was hard to sit around thinking I would've never been able to see you again or John or Rose. We should've never been separated from each other," you state. He clenches his fingers around yours a little tighter.

"We weren't supposed to be. If that idiot clown hadn't gone off the deep end we wouldn't have had to wait five years to see each other again and we wouldn't have to miss the hell out of Rose and John and even question whether or not they were even alive and I would've been able to tell you I still loved you--"

"You were going to tell me you loved me?" you interrupt him. His cheeks flush pink and you giggle, pressing the tips of your fingers against your lips.

"W-Well, yeah . . . " he stutters. You like the fact that even though you may be engaged to him, you can still manage to make him nervous around you.

"That's okay, I was going to tell you the same thing," you admit.

"You were?" You nod your head.

"Of course! We were both pretty dumb to think that either of us had stopped loving each other. We just needed a little time to cool off, that's all. But now, five years into the future, we're together, we both love each other, and nothing is going to change that." He stops the both of you, then, turning towards you as he pulls you against him, pressing his lips against yours. One hand grips onto the small of your back as the other threads its fingers through the strands of your hair, and you melt into his grasp.

"Have I told you," he breathes a minute later, breaking from the kiss, "That I love you so goddamn much? I mean it, you have won me over completely, Jade Harley. Hook, line, and sinker."

"You've mentioned it a few times, but you can continue mentioning it as many times as you'd like," you grin, holding his hand against your cheek, his warm fingers thawing the coolness of your skin.

"You know, we could make a little pit stop. I doubt if we lag a couple of hours anyone would notice," he says in a slick, molasses tone, attempting to seduce you.

"Dave!" you exclaim, pressing your forehead against his so that your noses are touching. "I told you, we'll have plenty of time for that later. We've got to get some more needles and bags for keeping the vaccine."

"I love it when you talk nerdy to me," Dave growls, pulling you in for another kiss. You push his face away from yours.

"Nuh-uh, no more kissing until we finish with our mission."

"Aw man," he groans, heaving a sigh. "Not even a little kiss?" You shake your head at him, folding your arms across your chest.

"You're getting too distracted. Besides, as I've said a millions times, we'll have time for that later. We've got priorities, you know."

"But I have _needs._ If we want to get specific, for you and me to be macking on each other, particularly with no clothes on."

"I have needs too, you know! Those needs are to get some damn supplies so that we can cure sick people! I think you can hold off your needs for just a little bit longer, Mr. Strider." He huffs but doesn't press further, lacing his fingers with yours as you continue down the rubble of the road again.

You've passed through many places, mostly ghost towns with dilapidated buildings, rodents scurrying around. Sometimes you like to imagine what it would've been like eight years ago, before some freak glitch in the human matrix set off in the world. You imagine little kids playing tag on broken down playgrounds and dates had at old restaurants. The fraying image of what once was often plagued your mind, no matter how accustomed you had become to this life.

Sometimes you even imagine living life normally, going to college and eventually owning your parent's corporation. You like to think that perhaps you would stumble across a Mr. Strider, but even you know that you wouldn't have even talked to him, if only for a shared glance on the street perhaps. You stop imagining and remember that this is the life you have now, and you've adjusted. Maybe it was the gloominess of the clouds overhead that was getting to you.

You pass through the run-down streets of the old town, following the street signs when you can in order to locate the hospital.

"It's pretty creepy around here," you announce aloud several minutes of walking later.

"Agreed. You'd think we could get used to this but now that it's all broken down and shit, it makes me feel anxious tenfold."

"How far away are we from the hospital?" Dave glances down at the map in his hand for a moment.

"We just take a right down this street and then go straight for a bit and we'll be there, no problem."

"No problem," you echo.

"Is everything alright with you? I mean, we already established that it's freaky as fuck out here, but you're making me extra nervous, babe," Dave says, and you feel his fingers tighten around yours reassuringly.

"I know, it's just that I've got this weird, gut feeling that won't go away."

"Well, why don't you just stick close to me and we'll go into the hospital, grab the stuff, and then leave and head back to the sector for real this time. We've got plenty of supplies, they need you back desperately, so let's just go and kick this virus or whatever the hell in the ass and then you and I can just . . . I dunno . . . um . . . _settle down_."

He doesn't look at you when he says the last part, just stares straight ahead, but you still notice the rosiness frosted upon his cheeks. You knew what he meant, but there was so much more of a meaning when he said 'settle down'. It was like the reality of the fact that you still had a shot at some sort of future was finally weighing down on you. You didn't have to worry about whether or not you had money because you were provided with the necessary goods in order to keep you sustained, and your job was on a voluntary basis. The sectors were proven to be extremely safe, so there wasn't any worry. You could easily start your own family. Did he want kids? You weren't sure if you were ready to get that far into the depth of what your future held quite just yet, especially with the imminent elephant in the room that was the whole freaking world, but the fact that you had one with him made the twist in your gut compete with the butterflies in your stomach.

"There it is," you point to an old, brick building, not quite so fancy as more up to date hospitals, but still one nonetheless. You let go of Dave's hand as the two of you enter into the hospital, more than ready to face anything because you've been to hell and back and you are just ready to return home.

There truly is no place like home.

 

**Dave: Guard Jade.**

 

You were more than determined to go in and be out within a minute, and there was no way in fucking hell that anything was going to touch Jade. Not on your watch. You'd rather let the zombies maul the hell out of you, and even then so, you'd rather the both of you stay alive. You've somehow done a fucking incredible job at it so far, and you'd like to keep that streak going for the rest of your waking days.

"In and out?" she asks as you walk past the front doors of the hospital, the glass of it shattered long ago and the doors rusted off their hinges.

"In and out," you echo her, nodding for her to proceed forward. You really wish Jade hadn't pressed on with announcing that she had a bad feeling in her gut. Now you were freaking the fuck out a little bit too, and you wanted to maintain keeping your cool as best as you could. You weren't about to get spooked out by a stupid zombie. You've seen them too often to piss your pants over them.

"Eugh," Jade groans, turning her face away in disgust as a couple of rats pass by. "You know, I would be totally okay if we just skipped this one."

"Quit being a baby and go. It's just a couple of rodents," you tell her, nudging her forward with your elbow.

"Okay, okay, but I don't like seeing them around. That means there's something around for them to get their grimy little rat paws on and what that something probably is is rotting flesh," she states as she proceeds down the dark hallway. You let your backpack go slack on one side of your shoulder and reach into it, pulling out your flashlight and switching it on.

"Why are you so insistent on making me freak the fuck out? You are being way too gloomy right now."

"Sorry," she apologizes sheepishly, her eyes scanning over the doors. "If we can find their supply closet, then we've hit the jackpot. Well, that and a laboratory would be nice." You hear something clatter in the distance and both of you stand stiff, slowly shifting your heads to glance at each other.

"What the hell was that," you whisper under your breath.

"I have no clue," Jade says, and both of you return to silence in order to listen out for the noise again. You both instinctively reach around and arm yourselves with your guns, keeping your guard up. When no noise is detected the both of you unclench your muscles, still airing on the side of caution, however.

"Maybe we were making it up," you suggest. Jade shakes her head at you, frowning.

"I don't think we would both make that up. Something is in here, and we need to figure out what that something is." She starts inching forward but you clasp onto her shoulder, pulling her back.

"Are you fucking insane?! What we need to do is get the fuck out of dodge and hightail our asses back to the sector. Fuck supplies, we've got enough. Now's not the time to be reckless idiots meandering about the place."

"Trust me, Dave, it'll be fine. We've got guns, I'm a sharpshooter, you're agile. We'll just go check it out and then take care of it if it's a zombie or something." You hold her gaze for a moment, her green eyes staring back at you, confident and unmoving. You heave a sigh, rolling your eyes.

"Okay, let's go check out the freaky as fuck sound and _then_ we are going to leave."

She's not smug about you giving in, only turning to continue forward with the utmost caution. You hold the flashlight steady in your hand, shining it ahead of you as the linoleum tiles illuminate. She points out a sign to you that says 'Emergency Room' and you nod your head with understanding, staying close beside her as you make a turn into the ER, the smell of 409 still clinging to the air despite the place not having even been touched in over eight years. You notice a couple of pictures of people who once were presidents or whatever the fuck still hanging on the wall, but most have long since fallen, the glass busted on almost all of them. It was almost . . . sad.

You and she make a turn around the corner, and suddenly you spot something flash past down the end of the hallway. Jade takes off down the hallway and you follow her, skittering down the hallway as you make another turn around the bend. Suddenly you're balls deep in an armada of guns, the barrels pressed against your backs uncomfortably.

"Put your weapons down!" One of the men yells, and both you and Jade comply, slowly setting your weapons on the ground before rising back up, hands held palm-ward in surrender. You take a good look at the people standing around you, both men in women in absolute tatters of rags. You imagine that they've never seen a places like any of the sectors in their life, and you realize that even amid the apocalypse, the state of society is much like before. You hardly even consider what life may be like for people not surrounding you, and you start to feel a twinge of pity prick at your mind.

"We mean no harm," Jade breathes, carefully forming the words of her mouth slowly. "We were only looking for supplies."

"Yeah, you're not getting jack shit here, girl, so I suggest you two just take your guns and go," a dark-skinned woman up front spits, her hand still held tightly on her gun.

"I'm not going to take anything from you, I promise. I'm just trying to get supplies so I can create and distribute a vaccine," Jade insists, and suddenly some guns go slack, faces twisted into confusion.

"You talkin' bout the illness that's been gettin' everyone as of late?" a lady with darkened curls asks. Jade nods her head.

"Yes. I think I've figured out a cure I just need to procure some things in order to get it made and distributed. I'm from one of the sectors, if you've heard of them before."

"Never heard of them. But as far as I'm concerned, if you're sayin' you can cure these people, I see no reason to hold you at gunpoint." The person addressing the two of you steps forward, her skin smudged with dirt and her flannel shirt torn in quite a few places, much like everyone else's clothes. You assume that she must be the leader, and your assumption is correct when she makes a gesture for the people surrounding you to put their guns down. They follow her order right away, giving you a sense of relief now that you weren't being suffocated by guns. "So, you a doctor or something?"

"Um, not quite," Jade answers, "I'm primarily a scientist overall, but I do know how to treat people medically."

"You better come with us, then." She points to the ground, motioning for you and Jade to pick your guns back up and to follow her. Jade glances behind her shoulder at you and you give her your best reassuring smile, which isn't much of one at all, but it still comforts her nonetheless as she returns her gaze ahead of herself.

"I'm Kane, by the way. This here is our group, mostly striving to get by most days," Kane greets herself as she lags behind a bit.

"I'm Jade, and this is Dave," Jade introduces herself, but once you enter the room, she stops dead in her tracks, gasping.

In the room are side-by-side cots compacted together, each harboring someone missing a limb, or with some sort of injury or illness, and the whole sight makes you sick to your stomach. You can only imagine that Jade can barely handle it, because people in need stress her out. She's always been one to help, no matter what.

"What happened here?" Jade asks quietly, her wide eyes glossing over the room.

"Some of 'em got their one of their limbs chopped off due to bites, others just got beaten up quite a bit in scuffles, both human and non-human. All of them are sick, and there's a good pile of them in another room. We lose a couple every three days," Kane explains, her solemn, gray eyes staring at them with worry.

"Are they dying because of this?" Kane nods her head.

"It's gotten worse, as of late. Most of them were just sitting around for months, unable to move much, but now it's just an end all be all. You have it, and you're gone within a couple of weeks, sometimes even days, if you're unfortunate."

You look back over at Jade, her muscles taut as she remains in shock. You notice her start to shake a bit and you return to her side, placing your arm around her.

"It's gonna be alright, Jade," you attempt to reassure her, but she shakes her head.

"No, it's not, Dave. People are dropping like flies and we could've had a cure made over a month ago. They needed me and I had to go off and find supplies myself like an idiot, when we could've easily sent out people way better trained to get the things and return. People could've _lived_ , Dave." You grimace at her, gripping her by the shoulders.

"Jade, forget about could've lived. There are people still living who need you now more than ever, and you're going to help them out. The world is full of what if's and you need to focus on the now's. That's what's most important." Jade holds your gaze for a moment before inhaling deeply and then exhaling, removing herself from you to go look over the sick people. She asks for things like gauze and bandages and gets straight to work, fixing up anyone she can for the time being. You stand back and watch her with awe, proud of her incredible ability to always be there for people.

"Your girlfriend is an amazing person. You're lucky to have someone like her," Kane comments as Jade finishes up with the patients.

"I am," you breathe, the corners of your mouth turning upward. "There certainly is no one quite like Jade Harley."

"Harley? As in, the Harley's of Atomic Industries?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" you raise a brow at her.

"I used to work for them awhile back. They were lovely people. It's a shame what happened to them, but I can tell that if they were here they would be very proud of her."

"Alright, I've done all I can for them, at least to make them a little more comfortable," Jade says as she meets back up with the two of you, wiping her hand with a towelette. "Unfortunately I can't do anything about their other symptoms, but as soon as I return back home I will make that vaccine as quick as I can, I promise."

"Hey, you said you guys have never heard of the sectors?" you ask Kane.

"Nope, not a word about them."

"I think you should come back with us, then. We'll get you there and you'll get beds and new clothes and you'll be treated for any ailment you have," Jade smiles, but Kane only shakes her head.

"I don't know if we can do that. These folks can't get anywhere, and it'd be useless for us to carry them. We'd only get torn down ourselves out there. It's a whole lot better if we just stay here." Jade's lips thin into a tight line and her brows furrow as she shifts into deep concentration.

"Hm." She spends a minute in silence, thinking hard about something before her crinkled face relaxes somewhat again. "I'll mark your location on my map, and then I'll send someone to get you when I return. I don't want to leave you behind, but I don't want any of you to get hurt anymore."

"You've already done plenty for us just by treating those guys over there. But thank you, so much," Kane smiles warmly, earning the same reaction from Jade. "If there's anything that you need, I'm sure we might've found it here. What are you looking for?"

"Needles, IV bags, gloves. Anything that would help out with delivering vaccines to people," Jade responds.

"I'll have someone go look for that stuff right now," Kane tells her, summoning one of the men standing in the room. "Daniel, can you look for some needles, IV bags, gloves, and bandages for Miss Harley here?" He nods his head and disappears from the room, leaving you to wait in silence. You reach your hand over and rest it on Jade's back, rubbing it gently. Her lips curve into a tiny grin as she looks over at you, and you return the gesture back.

"Here, this is about all we got," Daniel returns a moment later with a black satchel full of medical items. Jade takes it in her hand, slinging it over her shoulder and across her torso.

"Thank you so much. This should be plenty enough to allow us to return home now," Jade says.

"I'm glad. You take care, Jade. I'm sure your parents are looking down at you with smiling faces," Kane tells her, and before Jade has anytime to question it, you're already ushering her out of the hospital, waving behind you as you disappear into the dark of the hallways and out of the hospital.

~

"Dave, do you really think that I can do that? Do you really think I can help all those people?" Jade asks you later as you walk down the tree-enclosed road that stretches on for miles.

"I have no doubt in my mind that you can do it, Jade. You're the most fucking incredible person I ever met, feelings withheld. You're amazing, and I know it's a lot of pressure, but I know you're capable. You're wildly intelligent and good at pretty much everything. I don't doubt your abilities for a second." Her eyes light up at that response, her buck teeth protruding from her lips.

"Thanks, Dave. You know, I don't know what I would do without you--"

She stops talking abruptly when you feel something poking into your backs, your second run in with guns for the day.

"I'd stay fucking quiet if I were you," one of the people whispers between the two of you maliciously. "You wanna know what I'm here for?"

"Look, if you want our fucking supplies, then take 'em. I'm sure a couple of crackheads like you could use a billion needles and rubber gloves," you quip sarcastically, earning a reaction of the gun being pressed into your back even harder.

"Dave, be quiet," Jade mutters softly, and you can tell that she's shaking a bit, because unlike last time, these people don't seem like the kind to negotiate.

"Yeah, _Dave_ , shut the fuck up," the other guy says, and you grit your teeth, your grip on your gun tightening.

"Now, first off, the two of you are going to drop those guns and bags onto the fucking ground. I can't have either of you retaliating here, not on my watch," the first guy with a hoarse voice commands, and you reluctantly drop your stuff alongside Jade, keeping your breath even.

_If I can just figure out a way to get the upperhand, all I gotta do is kick him in the crotch or knock his feet out from underneath . . ._

"Alright, _girl_ ," the second guy says venomously, "You're coming with us." You watch as he begins to grip his meaty fingers around her bicep, dragging her to the side with force. You start to lunge forward, but the other guy tackles you to the ground, proving to be stronger than you thought.

"I guess this guy wants to get shot. Well, today's his lucky day," he sneers, pressing his gun against your head before you hear Jade's scream pierce through the air.

" _STOP!!!_ " Both of them shut up, and all three of you turn to look at Jade, who is shaking a lot more than before, her lip quivering and her eyes brimming with tears. "D-Don't . . . Don't kill him . . . You can take me, just leave him be," she stutters. Your eyes widen, and you try to shift under the guy pinning you down but he won't budge a bit.

"Don't do this, Jade, it's stupid," you strain your voice, but she shakes her head, smiling at you softly.

"You're gonna get killed if I don't comply, and even if you did die, I'd still have to go with them." You feel your breath running shallow as your chest begins to ache with pain.

"Jade," you start, but she stops you.

"Dave, just let me go. I'll be okay."

"Jade, I'm not gonna--"

" _Dave._ " You stare at her for what seems like a whole year, feeling your chest tighten even more.

_Jade never backs down, does she?_

With a guilty conscience and a hitch in your breath you whisper in defeat,

" _Okay._ "

She turns to the guy keeping her hostage, holding out her wrists to him. "Here, just take me. I'll go, and he won't fight. Just leave him be and take me with you." The man considers it for a second before nodding his head towards his partner, who stands up, his foot still resting all his weight onto your back.

"Jade, I love you," you tell her, and she gives you that dumb buck-toothed smile that you love so goddamn much, tilting her head to the side.

"Knock him out so that he doesn't follow us," the man holding Jade instructs his partner, and suddenly your heart is racing and the last thing you hear is,

"Dave, I love you t--"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are only four chapters left! Phew! On a sidenote, everyone gets knocked out a lot in this fic, don't they?
> 
> Alrighty, thank you everyone who has kept up with this and thanks for all the comments and kudos'! I'm glad that you like this fic and have stuck around for so long with it :) Keep reading and enjoy!


	28. Chapter 28

**Healer: Be beckoned.**

 

"WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?! YOU BETTER LET ME GO I'VE GOTTA GET TO HER!"

"Sir, I don't know what you're talking about. Just sit still and we'll be able to--"

"LIKE HELL I'M SITTING STILL YOU GUYS NEED TO GET THE FUCK OFF ME AND LET ME GO I NEED TO GO GET HER!!"

"Somebody better go get--"

"On my way."

You overhear the shouting (it's hard not to) coming from a few tents down, and you are soon graced with the presence of Mattie, one of your healers in training.

"Miss, we need your help. The man we brought in is being very uncooperative with us," she tells you.

"I'll take care of it," you sigh, pushing her to the side as you make your way to the tent. You usher the rest of the healers out to leave you alone with the struggling man, closing the tent flap behind you.

"Hey, you gonna fucking get me out of these restraints? I've got places to be." The bitterness and strain in his voice is apparent to you, but you remain calm, placid.

"No, I am not. You need to settle down. You received a nasty blow to your head and unless you let us treat it then we can't help you with any of your problems." You shift around the vials on the table, throwing together a small concoction. You glance at the man out of the corner of your eye and you feel your body go rigid.

 

Your first thought is

 

_I know you._

 

"I don't think you understand what's going on here, _lady_ ," he snarls.

 

Your second thought is

 

_You're alive._

 

"I think I understand perfectly clear what's going on here," you turn to face him, the bowl of liquid in one hand and gauze in the other. He makes no change in expression, his brows still scrunched together in anger.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" You set down the bowl and gauze on the table next to him, folding your arms across your chest as you gaze at him speculatively. You guffaw slightly at him, a small grin tugging at the corners of your mouth.

"You honestly don't remember what your own twin sister looks like, Dave?"

" . . . . . . . . . "

He stops shifting and his jaw drops, cheeks losing color as if he's just seen a ghost. You lean over and loosen up the restraints holding him to the cot, knowing that he'll be fine now for sure. He sits up and rubs at his arms before rising off the cot slowly, watching you with caution. His piercing crimson eyes lie on your violet ones, and for a few minutes, neither of you can speak. He eventually reaches over to you and draws you against him, holding you in a warm embrace.

"I can't believe that . . . I just . . . I . . . I never thought I'd see you again. _Ever_." You feel your cheeks grow wet and you realize that you're crying.

"You thought _you'd_ never see me again? I thought I'd never see you again! I thought that all of you had died," you tell him. He releases you, and you notice a couple of stray tears falling down his own face.

"God, Rose, I can't believe it's you. You're so grown up and you're hair is so goddamn long!" You glance down at your long blonde locks, remembering that you hadn't cut it in quite a long time.

"You're one to talk, Mr. Muscles. You've been kicking some zombie ass, I presume?" He nods his head, sticking his hands into his pockets.

"Hell yeah. I trained in one of the sectors with the military for quite a long time, until recently . . . " His expression drops as he starts to remember something. "I need to leave, Rose."

"I know, I heard you yelling about having to go get someone. Who is it?"

" _Jade._ "

"You found her?" He looks back up at you, his eyes solemn and somber as ever, a pained expression upon his face of true loss.

"I did, I found her and I had her, Rose. She was mine and then I just lost her. How could I be so stupid . . . " You reach over and place a reassuring hand onto his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Dave. You'll find her. As I recall Jade's a pretty strong girl. She can handle anything." He shakes his head, brushing your hand off his shoulder gently.

"No, Rose. Those guys took her, and I swear to god if one of them lays one of their goddamn grubby fingers on her he's gonna wish he had never stepped foot on this fucking earth. For all I know she could be dead and if that's the case then they're gonna be in a world of pain, you better fucking believe--"

"I know who you're talking about!" you interrupt him.

"You do?"

"Yes, I've heard of these men. They've taken several of my girls during the night. I've started putting bear traps around the perimeter whenever we camp out somewhere. I caught one of those bastards the other day and was able to get information out of him. He says there are three different places where they stay, Brannigans, and Carter's. Though rumor has it, someone brought Brannigan's down. One lone person did it, some guy who calls himself 'The Nomad'. I'm not sure which one they could be going to now, since Birches' and Carter's are relatively close to each other, but I'm sure she's going to one of those." Dave is quiet all of a sudden, and he backs up to the cot, sitting back down again as he leans his weight onto his knees, hands covering his head.

"Rose, I don't know what I'm gonna do if she gets hurt. I was supposed to just return home with her, and then she was gonna cure people and . . . and we were gonna start a new life there together. I've lost her once already and I'm not about to lose her again." You twist your mouth to the side as you join him on the edge of the cot, placing a hand onto his back.

"I'll help you get her back."

"How? If this is happening in three different places, I doubt we can just drop in and say, _"Hey, we're here to take Jade back kay thanks bye!"_ They have weapons, and they were ready to shoot me over the fact that I wasn't gonna let them get their grimy paws on her. Don't these fucking imbeciles know you can't fucking own a person?"

"No, apparently they don't know. When you don't have people in place to keep things like that from happening, people's moral compasses shift drastically. Also, those sons of bitches probably had no morals to begin with. It's disgusting." You feel his back shift upward as he inhales, dropping it a moment later when he exhausts a breath and turn towards you.

"This is dumb." You raise a brow at him.

"What is?"

"I meet my own sister again for the first time in five years and I can't even be happy about it because my fiancé is somewhere getting felt up by dirty bastards," he says.

"Fiancé?" The side of his mouth tugs upward into only a tiny hint of a smirk.

"Yeah, I kind of proposed to her. I know we hadn't really seen each other for awhile, and it was pretty much right after we hooked up, but I think I've always been positive that I wanted her beside me for the rest of my life ever since I met her. She's one of the only good things about this shitty world, you included now." You smile at him, reaching over to ruffle his hair before he swats your hand away.

"You're too kind, Dave. But I suppose I missed you, too. Life without my evil twin has been lackluster for certain." Dave scowls at you for a moment but you know it's only a facade, morphing right back into a full smirk this time.

"So, what has my sis been up to? I imagine it's pretty fucking heroic."

"Actually, it's been a pretty docile life. I mean, sure what we do is very helpful and everything, it's just that the days seem to creep by very slowly," you tell him.

"I get what you mean. Before I left my sector and found Jade, it was just boring military training every single day. Don't get me wrong, we did get to take down a lot of zombies and stuff, but it was a boring life. Same thing, day in and day out. It gets old really quickly."

"Well, I'm glad you found her then. You always needed something to keep you on your toes, and she's probably the best candidate for that." His face drops again and you feel a little bit bad.

"We've gotta find her. If you say you're going to help me out, then we need to make a plan or something. I just want her back, and I want to fuck up those bastards for even _considering_ that they could mess with Dave Strider and get away with it. I will make it my mission to ensure that they never see the fucking light of day ever again."

"I promise we'll find her. Unfortunately, I can't promise that we can move out right away, but I will make it happen. I'm tired of standing by idly while these guys take away women like they're some sort of prize to be won. We're doing this, Dave." He brightens up a bit then, his crimson eyes glancing over at you.

"We're making this happen," he finishes the phrase with a grin.

 

**Jade Harley: Wake up.**

 

Your groggy eyes open up, and you realize instantly that you're in a moving car, a semi truck with little light seeping inside. You take a look around and notice that there are other women lying on the ground, and when you see the round, soft cheeks of a girl you almost become sick instantly. You had a few ideas what they were doing with a bunch of girls, and it certainly wasn't pretty.

You sit up and lean yourself against the metal backing of the truck, pulling your legs to your chest and resting your head atop them. You're going to get out of this, you're sure of it.

 

_And yet . . ._

 

And yet you hadn't a clue what you were going to do because you were strong but you had passed on those stupid martial arts classes your grandpa offered to put you through years ago. You passed up on the opportunity to save yourself in the future, and you fucking passed on it like the idiot you are. Jade Harley is strong sometimes, but most of the time,

 

Jade Harley is _weak._

 

You heave a sigh as the truck bounces underneath you, hitting a few bumps in the road. Your chest hurts an awful lot, pain and worry filling your head and giving you a headache. You keep seeing Dave's face run through your mind, his absolute heartbreak as they took you away. You managed to convince yourself that it'd all be okay, because Dave is alright and alive and that's all you need. You didn't want to lose him, no, not again. Even if you weren't going to see him again, knowing he was still breathing was a comfort to you alone.

You touch your neck, pulling the dog tags out from under your shirt, rubbing your thumb over the indentations in the metal before reading it:

 

_STRIDER_

_DAVE S._

_413-09-1025_

_AB POSITIVE_

_NO REL PREF_

 

Having the dog tags was also a source of solace. Dave gave them to you, and there was no way in hell you would ever let anyone else touch them. Even though the metal might seem cold, sitting against your chest had made it quite warm, and in turn made you think of the warmth of his skin against yours. You place it back to its resting spot over your heart, tucking it away so that you can keep it away from the sight of your captors. You hadn't a clue what they might do with you, but you weren't about to have everything you have ripped away from you. Fuck that.

You're determined more than ever now to break the fuck out of here. You belonged to no one, certainly not to a bunch of demented creeps. You were going to find a way, but for now you sit here, waiting patiently for what's to come.

 

**Nomad: Find shelter.**

 

You'd been walking for quite a long time, and your legs had become exhausted of doing so. You decide to find shelter, which wasn't a hard thing to do considering you were passing through a town currently. You try to pick out the least sketchy looking house out of the many, finally deciding on a one story house with a once-white picket fence. Sure, many of the boards are busted or rotting, but it makes it easier to push your way through.

You turn the knob of the door and gain access inside right away, shutting the door behind you and making your way across the wooden floorboards carefully afterward. You make sure that no one else is preoccupying it at the moment, and you are greeted with relief when you find out that you are correct. You try your best to cover up the windows, which isn't proven difficult with the blinds still in tact. You pull them down and ensure that any and all entrances allow no one to see inside, especially anyone of the zombie variety. You lock the doors tight and then crash on the couch, crossing your arms underneath your head as you close your eyes, lulling yourself into a deep sleep.

~

_"Come on, give me the book already!"_

_"No way! I want to be as smart as you. I'm all about reading those kinds of books. I mean, how hard can 'As I Lay Dying' be to read? It's the one about the dead lady, right?" The blonde stares at you._

_"Yeah, that's it. That is the entire book. Just a single dead lady, no other characters or anything." You shoot her a dirty look, closing the book in your hand._

_"You know what I meant."_

_"Of course. Now give me the damn book back." She reaches over as you hold the book away from her, raising it high in the air._

_"Oh, you want this book? Hm, I think you'll have to get it yourself," you chuckle, and she scrunches her nose at you in disdain, yet a playful gleam still rests in her eyes._

_"You're such an asshole!" She clambers into your lap, nudging you with her elbow as she desperately tries to reach the book like a toddler in a cartoon trying to reach the cookies on the top of the fridge. She finally manages to wrestle it out of your hands but then lingers for a moment when she sees how close the two of you are. Her violet eyes are piercing and vivid, and you can't help but feel your heart skip a beat whenever they fall on yours. Her nose is touching yours, and her lips draw into a toothy grin as she leans further in and--_

 

~

 

You break from your sleep momentarily, and you kick your legs over the side of the couch as you bury your head into your hands with frustration. It's almost like you're watching a movie and you're just waiting for the dumb protagonist to kiss the girl but instead it's an actual memory of yours and you can't grasp onto the rest of the story. Does he get to kiss the brilliant blonde? Does she kiss him instead? What is her name?

You groan as you lean back into the couch, shifting onto your sigh as you stare into the couch cushions until your eyelids grow heavy once again.

 

~

 

_"So, how have things been with you guys lately? I know it's almost two weeks after your six month anniversary. And thank fucking god you guys finally moved out of your honeymoon phase because I thought I was always going to need to carry a bucket around with me for the rest of my life."_

_"I dunno if I should tell you," the guy smirks, his vanilla blond hair and rigid bone structure reminiscent of a certain bob-haired girl._

_"Come on, you can tell your best bro anything!"_

_"Are you sure you can handle it? She is your cousin after all," he reminds you. Your eyes widen as your mouth twists back in disgust._

_"Aw, gross! I forget these things, sometimes. I don't know whether to be proud for you or to run out to a trash can and puke," you tell him, clutching your stomach. "I guess I'm gonna go with proud with a hint of disgust? Yeah, I'll go with that. So, how'd you manage to get that lucky?" You watch as his face softens, an expression he holds only when he thinks of her._

_"I think I'm gonna marry that girl," he confesses, and you pause for a moment, trying to mull over the information he just delivered to you._

_" . . . For real? Like, this is a real thing you want to happen?" He shrugs, leaning back into the couch as he stares up at the ceiling._

_"Sure, eventually. I don't know what it is, but I always feel like she and I are, I dunno, meant to be or something."_

_"That is so lame," you blurt out, and he shoots you a dirty look. You laugh in response and he catches on, shaking his head._

_"You're right, it is. But god, is she so good at--"_

_"STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP. YOU ARE DONE YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GO ANY FURTHER," you cut him off before he continues spilling out the details._

_"Alright, alright . . . " he pauses, his mouth twisting to the side before he looks back over at you, a whimsical look upon his face. "I'll stop talking about ME AND YOUR COUSIN TOTALLY DOING IT!"_

_"LA LA LA LA LA! I'M NOT LISTENING!" you cover your ears, but even you can't stop the side-splitting laughter erupting from your belly._

 

~

 

_"Move your butt out of the way! I am so going to beat you down to the beach!"_

_A flash of black jets past you as sand is kicked up into your face. You grit your teeth but you absolutely determined to beat her to the water. After years of trying, you were finally going to beat her down to that water and finally be the one to catch the first wave of the summer. You press your bare against the hot sand with intense concentration as you gain momentum, and for a second you think you've actually won when--_

_THUD._

_"Oh my gosh, are you okay? That looks like it hurt!"_

_Suddenly she's at your side with all two feet of her long onyx hair tumbling down her back. You don't know how many times you told her just to cut it, but she insists on--_

_"HOLY SHIT THAT FUCKING HURTS!" Your eyes widen along with hers behind those big round spectacles, and it's almost as bad as the time the two of you walked in on your grandfather in the bathroom._

_"Ooooooooooohhhhhh," she says, cupping her hand over her mouth._

_"Don't tell grandpa," you whine, and she shakes her head._

_"I'll take it to the grave before I tell him, I swear on it." She makes an invisible 'x' across her chest before miming zipping her lips._

_"Oh god, is it bad?" She takes a minute to poke and prod at your knee, gritting her teeth in horror before turning to you with a mock, "It's okay!" face._

_"It's not that bad, really! Just a little bit of blood!"_

You dare peer down at your knee, and you almost upchuck your entire stomach right there and then, but you don't.

_"I think we need to stop running down to the beach and call it a truce," you breathe, staring up at the hot sun beating down on you._

_"Agreed."_

 

**Dave: Stare up at the ceiling.**

 

You stare upward at the roof of the tent, hands on your stomach as you try to concentrate on everything but the obvious. As you suspected, it proves to be extremely difficult, and your mind becomes riddled again with those everlasting moss eyes, the very same that haven't left ever since you met her.

"I made you some herbal tea. It'll calm you a bit," Rose says as she enters your tent, her blonde locks tumbling over her shoulder. She sets it down on the table beside you and you sit up, kicking your legs over the side of the cot.

"Thanks," you mutter as you take the mug in hand, taking a sip of the hot liquid. You were never a fan of tea, but your sister made it for you, and if she says it'll calm you, then you believe her.

"Thinking about her again?" she asks as she takes a seat next to you.

"Yeah," you sigh as you take another sip, not caring much that the tea is starting to burn the roof of your mouth. " . . . Do you think she's okay?"

"I would like to think so."

"That's not good enough--" you strain your voice, but Rose merely cuts you off.

" _Dave._ " You shut up then, allowing her to talk as you sip your tea and listen. "I know it's hard, but that's all you've got right now. You've got to look on the bright side or else you're not going to want to keep moving forward. It's tough to think that way in situations like this, but it is my firmest belief that Jade will be more than okay. She's not one to do anything rash or dumb, so I doubt she'll break out of there, but she is fully capable of handling herself. You just have to trust that she'll be okay, and you'll be okay."

"Got it."

You still feel terrible.

Rose reaches over and pats your back reassuringly, removing it only a moment later in order to place it back in her lap with the other one as she begins to twiddle her fingers.

"So, about us wanting to go after Jade . . . " she trails, and you shoot her a side-glance, one that she can't detect now that your eyes are once again hidden away underneath two tinted lenses.

"What about that?"

" . . . We can't go out for another two weeks or so. You need to rest yourself before engaging in any physically taxing activities, and unfortunately that's the way it is, right now," she confesses sorrowfully. You take in the information, calmly thinking through it.

"That's alright," you shrug, pressing the mug to your lips. "I think I can wait."

"Really?" she stares at you incredulously. You nod your head once in affirmation.

"Yeah. It'll be no sweat off my back." _Lies, Strider._

"Good. I just--if you need anyone to talk to, you know you can always talk to me, right?"

"Of course, Rose. I mean, I've told you pretty damn near everything. I think I can trust you with about everything else."

"Hm, true. Well, you get some rest, okay? You're going to need it while you can get it."

She smiles warmly at you before exiting, leaving you alone to an empty tent. You set the mug back on the table, deciding you've had enough of that bitter, hot leaf-water as you lean back onto the cot, kicking off your shoes and pulling the blanket that she provided you with over your legs. You think about a lot of things, about your family, about your friends, but you finally manage to let sleep catch up to you when your mind decides to focus on remembering Jade wrapped around you on a warm bed, and suddenly you feel at ease.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So fun story of the day: I didn't feel like posting this chapter on Friday, so I was going to post it yesterday after babysitting. I get home and fifteen minutes later the power goes out for five hours straight, no connection to the internet whatsoever. If I were Rose Lalonde I'd have some sort of a back up generator, but sadly, I am lacking that. Ugh.
> 
> Anyway, this is the fourth to last chapter, and it's coming to a close! Hopefully you'll like the ending and be satisfied with the whole thing is done (I know I will be.) Thanks for reading and please keep on doing so! :)
> 
> ((Also, for the beginning part I really liked listening to the song "The Mother We Share" by Chvrches. It's a great band and I love it to death.))


	29. Chapter 29

TWO WEEKS LATER.

 

**Rose: Wake up Dave.**

 

"Dave, come on! Get up!" you shout, peering inside your brother's tent to make sure he's awakened.

"WHOA WHOA, I'M UP, I'M UP!" he jumps upward immediately, scrambling to get out of his cot. You stare at him while he rubs his eyes sleepily.

"Um," you begin, and he looks at you until you point down at his pants, or lack there of.

"Okay, I can explain," he insists as he struggles to get his pants on once he finds them. He buckles up his belt and pulls on his shoes, trying desperately to compose himself even though he's still fatigued from sleep.

"Alrighty then . . . "

"What? It got too damn hot in here during the middle of the night!" he exclaims, but you only chuckle, shaking your head.

"Come on, you big dolt. I've got something to show you." You wave him on outside and he staggers behind you into the brimming daylight, exerting a big yawn as he does so.

"So what's the commotion all about?" You point forward at the group of girls currently being crowded around, a grin forming on your face.

"Those, my dear, sweet brother of mine, are the missing women stolen from my camp a couple of months ago. One of them escaped one of the other camps, and she says she might have seen Jade." Dave's once lethargic face lights up immediately, and you can practically see his heart leap out of his chest.

"Really?" he asks, not even caring about whether or not he's keeping his cool. You nod your head and tug him along by his arm, bringing him over to the group of girls chatting animatedly with everyone.

"--And then he just took them all out, on his own! Said he was headed off towards one of the other two holding areas. Can you believe that he's going to take them all down on his own? He's incredible!"

"Hello, Victoria," you interrupt her conversation, and she twists her head over to look over at you, a smile forming on her face.

"Rose!" she exclaims, pulling you into a quick hug before releasing you. "I can't believe we finally made it back home!"

"Yes, I'm truly happy that you've finally returned. I've been worried about all of you. I've had to set up bear traps around the entire perimeter just to make sure no one else gets in."

"Who's this?" Victoria asks, pointing over at Dave.

"Oh, sorry, this is Dave, my twin brother. A couple of the girls found him lying in the road a couple weeks back, and I didn't realize it was him until I saw him."

"Sup," Dave greets her, waving.

"So, is he available, or--" she begins, and you roll your eyes, pushing her to the side so that you can get through to the person you were actually going to see.

"Happily taken, sorry," you hear Dave grin behind you, and you snort. You certainly didn't miss any of that.

"So then I was like--Oh, hello, Rose! I'm glad to see that you're okay!" Another girl greets you.

"Yes, I am happy about that for you, as well. I take it you guys are exhausted?"

"Well, no and yes. No because we're so excited to see everyone here again. Yes because I've been walking forever and my feet are killing me," she groans.

"Unfortunately, I'm going to have to cut this jovial conversation short. I came to discuss more pressing matters, about that girl I mentioned. Go ahead, Dave, describe Jade to Penelope."

"Well, she's about yay high," he signals with his hand, gesturing the level she's at compared to him, "She has moss green eyes and bronze skin and last I remember she was wearing my black sweatshirt, a pair of jeans, and she also had some dog tags on her person." Penelope twists her mouth to the side, analyzing the information Dave delivered to her. A second later she responds with,

"Nope, I've never seen her before, at least not where I was. Sorry." Dave deflates then, and you can see his crimson eyes grow sad from the side of his face. You place a hand on Dave's arm, offering him a tiny, reassuring smile.

"That's okay. You know what that means, right?" you ask him. He shakes his head, staring at you with slight confusion.

"No."

"It means that she's only at one other place. Where did you come from, Penelope?" 

"I was at Carter's," she answers you.

"So there you have it. She's at Birches over at . . . Pine," you finish when you realize the irony of it all. "Oh come on."

"You mean she's over by--"

"Yes, I do mean that. I mean, why not," you sigh.

"Well what are we waiting for, then? We'll just go and--"

"I'm sorry to interject here, but I dunno if you should go yet," Penelope states, and Dave shoots her such a dirty look that you have to punch him on the arm to get him to refrain from doing so.

"And why shouldn't we?!" he exclaims.

"Well, first of all, I highly doubt you guys have any weapons. Secondly, the Nomad is already on it. I know for a fact that's the place he's headed towards, and you never know, he might actually take them down on his own again like he did last time," Penelope smiles, but Dave doesn't buy into it.

"Why the hell would I care what some fucking idiot with a whatever-the-fuck-kind-of-weapon does? I'm not about to trust some random guy to get my fiancé out safe and sound!" Dave shouts.

"It's a hammer."

"What?"

"His weapon is a hammer. Says he's been using them for quite some time." You feel Dave grow stiff beside you as you both turn slowly, exchanging glances with each other.

"You don't think--" you begin, but Dave cuts you off, answering your question.

"Oh, but I do think. Who else would be that stupid?" You both shift your attention back to Penelope, who appears to be confused as hell.

"What did this 'Nomad' guy look like? Can you describe him to us?" you interrogate her.

"Um, well, he was a little bit taller than you, Rose, and he had rectangular glasses and dark hair with a blue streak in it that matched his eyes." Your jaw goes slack as you twist your head to face Dave again, and he's copied your exact expression.

"Sounds like our idiot," Dave says, and you nod your head in agreement.

"The very same."

"Wait, you know who he is? Nobody knows who he really is!" Penelope tells you.

"We do. You wouldn't happen to know his real name, would you?" you inquire of her. She shakes her head.

"No one knows anything about him. He's sort of like a phantom in that way. He breezes in and out of your life, kind of like the wind. He's helped a lot of people out. It's all he ever does, really. Kind of makes you wonder if he even eats or sleeps at night like the rest of us."

You furrow your brow at her, finding her words puzzling. You could understand the part about him helping out people, because that was ultimately the most credible thing out of the bunch. John was a caring and selfless person, so you could only imagine that he would go on to do great things even without you and Dave and Jade by his side. What you didn't understand was the whole heir of mystery about him. He wasn't the kind of person you would peg as keeping things to himself much. John was always very open for the most part, at least with you.

"Thank you for your help, Penelope," you tell her a minute later, dismissing her so that you can speak to Dave alone. She waves as she runs off to talk to other people, leaving you and Dave to push back out of the crowd, off to the side somewhere.

"So, do you think we need to go out there? I mean, if that really is John, and if he's headed to the same place that Jade might be at, wouldn't it make sense just to go right after them?" Dave suggests as soon as you're somewhere quiet.

"I'm not sure," you say biting your lip as you concentrate hard about the topic, compiling all of the data in your head. "I mean, that's two possibilities, zero guarantees. I'm not even sure if we'd be ready to head out just yet."

"Rose, our two best friends whom we haven't seen for a long while have a possibility of being in the same place at the same time. You'd have to be stupid to ignore something like that. And I don't give a shit about whether we're ready or not. We need to go to them." You can sense his tension, especially as he grips onto your forearm tightly, his face pleading. You wanted more than anything to see John again, but you weren't even sure it was him in the first place.

"Okay," you finally decide, and Dave exhales, loosening his grasp on you. "We'll start packing up, all of us. We'll leave as soon as possible."

"Excellent," he smirks, still playing cool, but you can still tell he's hiding pure excitement bubbling under his skin. You could tell because you felt it, too. You were more than ready to get the gang together, and you were ready to go Mulan on those scumbags' asses and rip them a new one. Nobody fucks with Rose Lalonde.

"Oh, by the way, Dave, I forgot to give you something."

"Hm, I've gotten many less than amicable gifts from you in the past. What makes you think that I'll enjoy this one?" he asks, skeptical. Your lips curve upward into a malicious grin, and you tug on his wrist.

"I know for a fact that this one will knock you off your feet." He follows behind you as you reach your own tent, pulling the flaps aside as you walk inside. You go over to your cot in the corner and pull out a long case, placing it atop the cot.

"What's in there, meth?" Dave asks and you roll your eyes at him.

"No, don't be a dumbass. Just get ready, Dave. You're about to shit your pants." You undo the clasps holding the case together and then flip it open, and you hear a loud gasp erupt from behind you as Dave pushes you to the side hurriedly.

"OH MY FUCKING GOD, WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?!" You stand aside, arms folded across your chest as an amused expression crosses your face.

"I saw it lying on the ground once I came out of my hiding spot awhile after the shots had ceased. I took it with me because I knew it was yours, and I wanted a keepsake to hold onto. That and it helped having a weapon to slice up some zombies with, but it's perfectly sharpened and polished, good as new." You're suddenly knocked over as your pulled into a tight embrace, Dave's cheek pressed up against yours as he lifts you from the ground.

"Thank you so fucking much, Rose. You are the best twin to ever exist ever. I mean it." You chuckle softly as you manage to ruffle his hair, a tiny smile forming at the corner of your lips.

"That'll do, Dave."

 

**Jade: Be sick.**

 

You wake up in the morning feeling ill to your stomach, and even though there isn't much in your stomach to begin with, you still upchuck it, voiding your body of what feels like all your organs.

"Miss, are you okay?" you hear a voice ask as you lift your head from the toilet, your forehead dripping with sweat.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I've just been feeling a little queasy lately," you reassure the girl waiting beside you with a weak smile.

"Are you sure you're alright? I mean, I know there's that virus or whatever that's been spreading like wildfire--" she says, but you cut her off.

"No, i-it's not that," you stutter a bit, exiting the sort of built-in outhouse (it isn't much out as it is inside the place you're being kept), shutting the door behind you. "I've probably got a cold or something. I've been really exhausted as of late, so that plus stress makes me susceptible to stuff like that. Colds still exist, you know."

You haven't met this girl before, so you assume she's new here, as fresh as of a few days. Most of the other women stay congregated together in one of the corners, not making much of a sound save for small conversations. You watch some of them come and go, and even though you haven't bitten your fingernails in a very long time, they've been reduced to practically stubs. You try your best to keep your mind off of it and to just accept it, but you still have that fight in you. It's what's kept you alive for so long.

"I'm Marina, by the way," she extends her hand out to you, and you shake it.

"I'm Jade." You can't get over her casualness about the whole situation, but you figure people cope in different ways, and this is her way. Facades were usually the way to go. Her copper, tight curls bounce in her face against her mocha skin as she tilts her head, smiling. You can only peg her to be about fourteen.

"I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright. Us girls gotta look out for each other, you know?"

"Of course," you grin back at her, waving her over to sit against the wall with you. She obliges happily, crossing her legs and placing her hands into her lap, twiddling her thumbs.

"You also seemed like you needed someone," she adds a little later, more quietly.

"Huh?"

"You just seemed really sad. I mean, I know we're all sad, but you looked like you needed company. I always see you take out a necklace and hold it all the time. What is it?"

"Dog tags," you answer her, "For the military."

"Were you in the military?" You chuckle and shake your head before pulling the metal chain off your neck, allowing her to see the dog tags herself."No, I wasn't, but my boyfriend sort of was," you tell her. "Er, well, my fiance, I mean."

"Oooo," she smiles knowingly, jabbing you lightly with her elbow. "Is he cute?"

"I'd like to think so. He likes to tell me otherwise, though, that he's not cute, he's manly as hell and hotter than the intensity of a thousand suns." She cackles after that, covering her mouth.

"How long have you two been together?"

"About a week," you blurt out, but you realize that sounds bad once you say it aloud. "Well, we met each other about seven years back, and we dated briefly but then were separated from each other for about five years."

"Do you think he's your soul mate then?" she asks, handing back the dog tags.

"Yeah, I'd like to think so."

"So if you're not into military, then what do you do?"

"I'm a scientist. You know how you mentioned that virus? I'm supposed to be creating the cure for it right now."

"Really? That's cool!" Marina exclaims before pausing a moment. "I'm sorry you don't get to do that right now."

"It's alright. I have hope that we'll get out of here, and then I'll be able to help people like I was before," you say.

"So did you do any other cool things as a scientist?" Marina lights up, bubbly and excited.

"Well, the main thing I did was create alternative sources of energy to power things, it's harder when you have a certain grid to work within, but I managed it. It's kept some of the surrounding houses in the area powered, so if someone were to rest in them, they'd be greeted with light and heating if need be."

"Wow!"

"Yeah, and that's not even the best part--" you begin, but you're cut off by the sound of the metal door swinging open and hitting against the wall, making you jump. Light pours into the room as two of the men waltz in, bottles in their hands as they stumble inside.

"How's about we pick someone, huh?" one of the two whispers to his buddy. All the women and girls in the room become stiff instantly, eyes wide as the men circle around you like vultures. You feel something clench onto your arm, and when you look down you see Marina's fingers gripping tightly onto your forearm, the blood drained from her face. One of the men giggles in his drunken haze while the other strokes and touches the women he passes, like some demented game of duck duck goose.

"Hm, she looks promising, don't ya think, Bill?" the smaller of the two asks, pointing forward at Marina. Her fingers dig deeper into your skin and you lean over slightly.

"Don't worry, I won't let him get you," you whisper as the guys approach.

"Hey, lil' darlin, how are you?" The short man raises the bottle to his lips, letting it fall to the floor when he realizes it's empty. You push yourself in front of Marina, meeting the man's eye level.

"Don't you fucking _dare_ ," you growl, lip curving upward as you glare at him. He stares at you for a moment, dumbfounded by your defiance before he turns his head to his friend and laughs.

"What a fucking peach! You know, I take it back. We'll have this one today." You fight back a little bit, but despite them being exuberantly drunk, they are still able to overpower you. You curse yourself for being sick and underfed, because if you weren't tired you would definitely win against the two of them. They tug you along across the floor and out the door, pulling the metal door shut on their way out.

"Here, I'll take her to my room and have my way with her first," the short guy says, and his friend Bill nods, stepping aside for him as he drags you across wooden floor boards. You feel your heart begin to race and you put out your feet in front of you, pushing away from him.

"Cut that out, you fucking bitch!" You continue to resist, finding the strength you hadn't had before as adrenaline pumps into your system.

"Like hell you're gonna take me away!" you shout, spitting in his face before getting a good hold of his hand and biting it.

"MOTHER FUCK!" the guy yells out in pain, pushing you to the ground. Bill rushes to your side in order to keep you contained.

"What do you want me to do with her, George?" he asks.

"Put her in the fucking lock box. It'll teach that fucking bitch the lesson she deserves. She'll never fuck with me again after that." Bill obliges and pulls you away forcefully down the hallway and to the right, opening up another metal door before tossing you inside. You fall against the metal wall with a _thud_ , feeling paint shoot up the back of your head.

"Stay in there," Bill warns before slamming the door on you, leaving you in pitch black. You pull your legs up to your chest, trying your best to steady your own breathing.

_That was too close._

You were going to find a way out of here. No more hopelessness, no more acquiescing to their demands. You were busting the fuck out of here, because you were _no one's_ material object.

You are Jade Harley, you are woman, and you will make sure that everyone will hear you fucking roar.

 

**Nomad: Go time.**

 

Just breathe.

 

_Breathe._

 

You can do this.

 

_You can't do this._

 

You can do this.

 

You're sitting outside the compound by Pine Lake, the moon illuminating the water brilliantly, giving you a sense of solidarity and odd familiarity within yourself. You ignore the twinge of pain sticking your brain at the moment and try to focus. You were on your own this time, you were in charge of not only taking down fifty-plus men, but successfully making sure each and every girl was removed before you burn it to the ground. You could do it, you think. There's just gotta be an easy way to go about it.

God, you're so fucking crazy.

You creep slowly towards the side of the large, wooden building, trying your best to keep hidden in the event that there are men patrolling the outside of it. You can only imagine that they've heard that you've massacred the last building and have armed themselves a lot better, but you also like to think that they're incredibly stupid. The second option is most likely, in this case, especially since they're keeping the women inside of a wooden building. They obviously haven't learned anything from the three little pigs and you were more than ready to be the big, bad fucking wolf who was gonna tear their shit apart.

You lean against the side of the compound trying to tune in your intense listening skills that you'd like to think you have. When that proves to not be true, you notice a sizable hole in the wall covered by a grate. You're not quite sure what the purpose of it is, but you'll bet anything that it'll be a way inside. You take your sledgehammer and carefully pound it against the sides, loosening the grate from its bolts and successfully removing it without making much of a ruckus. You slide inside the hole, landing hard onto linoleum flooring.

You get the best look of the room as you can, scanning it for any signs of where you might be. Your mind finally deduces that it is the basement where they keep storage, namely a gun and some bullets. You don't normally take a gun with, but after the last run in you had with death, you make an exception. Being reckless was definitely not worth it at this point, and the last thing you needed was another bullet in your chest.

You lift yourself from the ground, gaining your balance back before creeping up to the door where light from the illuminated hallway pours through the glass. You place your hand on to the door knob, tactfully twisting it with caution as you creep out of the room. There's a set of stairs leading up to the real first floor of the building and you carefully ascend it, making sure to watch out for anyone who might spot you. When you make it to the top you realize that you are more than good to go, because most of the men are either sleeping or passed out due to too much drinking. You find a couple slumped outside a metal door and your mind concludes that this must be where they're keeping the girls. You pull the latch on the door as quietly as possible and slip inside to the dark room.

"W-who's there?" you hear a tiny voice stammer, and your eyesight finally manages to adjust to the darkness. You can barely make out her face, but she's a small girl of about fourteen or fifteen.

"Shhhh," you tell her, holding a finger to your mouth. "I'm here to break you guys out of here."

"Really?"

"Yup, that's the plan. So, do you have any idea if there's a way I can get you guys out through this room?" you ask her, kneeling beside her spot at the wall.

"I think I saw a couple of the metal panels that weren't really in place here, but I don't really know what to do with that," she answers you.

"Hm, I think I can work with that. This place is entirely wooden on the outside, and I assume that these guys did such lazy handy work with creating a containment unit because they just suck in general," you say, earning a small giggle out of her. "I'm going to try to loosen those panels up more and then smash the exterior in order to get you all out. That sound alright to you?"

"Mhm."

You feel along the walls carefully for any bend in the metal or a looseness that might signify to where the panel is coming off, but it is tedious and takes longer than you had hoped it would. Eventually you find one on the side leading to the outside of the building, and you use your sledgehammer to carefully remove it. It creates a little more noise than you'd like, but it seems to have no effect on the men. As you predicted it leads to the boards covering a side of the house, and you are able to easily break through those boards and make a hole big enough for the women to escape. The cool air seeps inside the containment unit and suddenly more of the women awake, puzzled by the strange man creating holes in the wall.

"You guys are free to go," you tell them, and they only stare at you for a minute, trying to figure out whether or not this is a cruel joke or that they're imagining it. "Come on, you need to get out of here!" They finally take you seriously and scramble to their feet, muttering _thank you_ 's as they depart through the side of the building. You put the little girl you were talking to in charge of getting everyone out silently while you creep back to the basement, making sure you're extra careful not to disturb any of the guys this time. Once inside, you shuffle about the place, searching for something flammable. You had already stolen several booklets of matches from houses you had stopped at along the way over here, but all you need was the proper fluid to make the whole building go ablaze. You basically shit your pants when you find some gasoline fluid ( _why does everyone seem to have it??_ ) and you grab the carton and go, pouring some of the liquid on the ground as you move along. (You 'accidentally' pour some on the guys legs as you walk by, but they're too passed out to notice.)

You make your way back inside the holding compound, sprinkling some of the gasoline about the room. You find the little girl standing there, waiting for you patiently.

"Everyone out?" you ask.

"Yes!" she exclaims, and you reach over to ruffle her hair.

"Good girl. Now let's get going." You finish pouring the gasoline on the floor, tossing the red carton onto the ground. You push the girl out through the hole and you stand beside it, digging a booklet of matches out of your pocket, striking one against the sandpaper as you watch it go ablaze. You toss it onto the fluid on the ground and watch it as the room begins to light up, and you push your way through the hole, grabbing the girl by the wrist as you usher her away.

"As long as we get away from the perimeter, we should be safe!" you tell her as you jog away, but suddenly you're jerked back by her. You turn around to face her wide hazel eyes as she points back at the building.

"Wait, I forgot that there's still a woman in there! We need to go back and get her!" Your brow furrows as you watch the smoke billow out of the joint, orange flames flickering against the windows.

"I dunno if we--" you begin, but she's already pulling you back there, and you go along with it because you're just plain stupid and reckless. She stops you outside the entrance.

"She's inside a small, closet-like space. It's got a metal door like the one keeping us in the room," she directs you.

"Alright, I'll get her. I need you to go follow along with the rest of the girls, though. You don't have to worry about her. We'll both get out safe." She embraces you for a few seconds before letting go, sprinting off and disappearing into the trees.

You heave a sigh before you push your way through the front door, watching as the chaos and hell pours out before you. Basically all of the men are on fire, the alcohol sitting around them doing them no good. You hold your hand over your mouth as you search for that metal door. You find a narrow hallway and at the end of it is exactly what the girl described to you. You run and open it, finding a woman collapsed on the floor of it, her skin pale and her body barely moving. Something strikes you downright familiar about her but you ignore it, ditching your sledgehammer in order to gather her limp body up into your arms. You're quickly losing the ability to breathe, the toxins from the fire becoming too unbearable around you along with the heat, but you push through, finally feeling triumphant once you find the front door, stumbling out into the open-air clearness of the night. The rest of the night moves by you in a haze as you search for somewhere to rest, the ebbing darkness flowing around you as you're swallowed into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be posted on Thursday and the final chapter will be posted Saturday. 
> 
> Thanks for keeping up with this fic and I hope you'll like how it ends. Enjoy this next chapter!


	30. Chapter 30

**Jade: What the heck is going on???**

 

You wake up groggily, lifting your head from what seems to be the cushion of a couch. Your vision is still slightly blurry for the moment and you can barely make out a figure sitting on the end of the couch, his eyes on you. There's something staggeringly familiar about those electric blue eyes, but you can't seem to place it. Your head is still spinning and you're beginning to feel a bit queasy.

"Don't sit up too quickly. You might get sick," he says, and you oblige, slowly pushing yourself up on the couch so that you are facing him entirely. Your vision returns to you entirely and you face him this time, his rounded face bearing bags underneath his eyes and a certain solemnity about him.

"What happened? How did I even get here?"

"I burnt down the whole building. You were still in there after the flames had already spread a lot, so I had to go save you."

"Thanks for--" you start to say, but he cuts you off, his eyes wide now with confusion laden within.

"Do I know you? I'm sorry, I know it sounds weird, but I just feel like I know you," he strains his voice, and you scrunch your forehead, concentrating on him. You didn't want to deny his question, because you had felt the very same. He was familiar, with those blue eyes and those rectangular glasses and messy black hair that sticks up all over the place . . . You soften your gaze and feel your lips curl upward into a smile, your heart filling with exuberant joy.

"J-John?" you stutter, your throat closing in on itself as the tears well in your eyes. "John, it's really you!" You reach over and pull him close to you, tightening your hold on him as you rest your forehead into his shoulder.

"I . . . how did you know who I am?" The hug is cut short then and you sit back, your hands still resting atop his shoulders but now a sizable amount of distance placed between the two of you.

"You mean you don't know who I am?" He looks upon you innocently before shaking his head, his lips drawn into a thin, straight line.

"No idea. I mean, I have the general gist of who you are, the prickling sense of familiarity, my . . . " He pauses for a moment as if remembering something important, his eyes growing wide as if he's had some sort of epiphany. "You're my cousin, aren't you?"

"Yes! I'm Jade, you're most favorite and only cousin in the world," you grin, punching him playfully in the arm. "How'd you figure it out?"

"I had a dream not too long ago with two kids in it, and one of them looked like a younger version of me and you. We were running on the beach and I tripped and busted the shit out of my leg, which then prompted me to curse which I guess we could get in trouble for?" When he says this you burst into a peal of laughter, leaning back into the couch for support.

"I can't believe you still remember that! Man, Grandpa was pretty pissed when he found out we'd been running down to the beach because he'd always warn us about getting hurt. Then we practically vowed to never run to the beach ever again. You didn't come back to the island much after that." You watch as he begins to smile too, his face lighting up as if someone had just removed a large weight from his shoulders.

"I'm starting to remember our summers at Grandpa's island. God, I can't believe that I had been missing all that stuff." You place a sympathetic hand onto his shoulder, patting his back.

"I'm sorry that you forgot to begin with. What happened?" you ask him.

"I dunno. I just remember waking up in the middle of a sand dune, hot as hell with no memory of who I was save for some useless facts and just my first name," he explains.

"Do you not know your last name?" He shakes his head.

"Well, yours is Egbert and mine is Harley, if that helps." As you give him pieces of information like this you can see some things start to click in place. It's as if he'd been trying to put together a puzzle, desperately trying to place two puzzle pieces that just didn't but he had no idea what to do next.

"That helps a lot. It sounds like my name, I guess. I wish it'd just come back to me, or that it had in the first place. I thought that maybe if I met someone who knew me then I'd just be able to recall everything, but I can't really remember much at all, still," he laments.

"Hm, that is a predicament," you purse your lips, staring into the worn carpet before looking back up at him, tousling his hair. "Well, first things first, we need to talk about this blue stripe in your hair. You cannot tell me this was a sober decision."

"You know, that happened so long ago I can't really tell you whether or not it was. Oh, that reminds me!" He pulls his shirt over his head turning his back towards you. "Take a look!"

"Whoa, where did you even get something like this done?" Cascading down the entirety of his backside is a beautiful twist and tangle of bronchioles forming into a pair of lungs.

"Both decisions occurred sometime after I lost my memory," he explains. "The tattoos hurt like a bitch, of course, but it was definitely worth it." You notice there's one on his left bicep, a tribal tattoo circling around a portion of it. He pulls his shirt back on over his head, straightening it out once it's back on his body.

The both of you sit in silence and you think about what John's life might've been like compared to yours. It's unsettling a bit that he isn't quite like the John you once knew, so jovial and full of life, but then again, you weren't so much the same Jade as you used to be, either. It probably didn't help that he had basically lost touch with all of his memories. If he had, he'd definitely done some damage to his frontal lobe, and if that was so he probably had trouble with his emotions and dealing with things like irritability. You wish you had been there for him more than anything in the world. You begin remember a small detail that you had seem to forgotten, something that as much as you really didn't want to remember, it might help John remember.

"John, I have an idea to help you get some of your memories back," you offer him, and he perks up right away.

"Yeah, what?"

"I'm not going to tell you that yet. You'll just have to trust me on this." You rise from the couch, extending a hand out to him to help him up. He accepts the gesture and you pull him up from the couch. "Ready?"

"Ready."

 

**John: Follow Jade.**

 

Your mind was abuzz because you had finally found someone who might be able to tell you who you were, what these faces with empty names that haunted your dreams were, what it was like to have a family. She's here, she's real, and she's going to help you out. That's all you could really ask for at the moment.

You notice she doesn't talk towards the end of your trip and you're not sure why until she stops outside a broken gate being swallowed by overgrowth. There's a hitch in your breath as you feel that all too familiar twinge of recognition, but your mind still has yet to grasp why. You notice that her moss eyes are huge and that she's holding her breath, almost too reluctant to press forward.

"You okay?" you ask her as she stands there, her face full of melancholia. She turns towards you, her expression unchanging until her trance is broken, and she offers you a tiny smile.

"Yeah, of course I am. Let's go." She steps in through the overgrowth and you follow her down a narrow pathway, the tall trees shading you from any source of light, save a few cracks of daylight. It takes a long while to get anywhere, but when you do you notice the groups of cabins ahead, and suddenly you remember laughter that would fill your eardrums and cool summer nights and how pretty the lake would look as the sun set.

"Are you starting to remember anything?" Jade asks you. You nod your head, still glossing over the place as a pleasant sting of pain itches at your chest.

"Yeah, I do. I liked this place a lot," you tell her.

"Me too."

She continues walking forward and you come closer and closer to the cabins until you can practically touch them, and she leads you up into the first one, pushing the old, wooden double doors open and stepping inside. You glance around at all the empty tables and the floor scattered with trays and dishes. You run your fingertips over the surface of them, remembering meals shared here. She tugs you by the elbow and you follow her back out the doors and down the steps as she leads you into another place filled with bunk beds.

"This was where you stayed. I'm not sure which bed was yours, but--" Jade begins, but you cut her off, pointing over to a solemn-looking bunk sitting in the corner.

"This was mine. Mine and . . . mine and . . . " you trail, thumbing through your mind for the name of the blond-haired boy from your dreams.

"Dave's?" she completes the sentence for you.

"Yeah! It was mine and Dave's," you state confidently, grinning. "Whatever happened to that guy, anyway?"

"He's fine. He's probably off doing something heroic or something," she mutters almost to herself, and you notice her pull a necklace out from under her shirt. You don't ask her about it, figuring that she'll tell you if she wants to. You notice that there's not much to this room, and you assume that it's been picked over time and time again. You also spot several leaks falling from the ceiling and you remember that this place hasn't been visited in a long while.

Jade takes you to several other places: the lake, the field, the thicket, the library. She takes you what she calls 'The Rec' last, and you remember playing games in here and having a good time. You suddenly understand why she's so sad about coming back, because you feel it too. You had a lot of good times here, and then they were ripped away from you without warning. You notice an old piano sitting in the corner of the room and you feel the urge to sit at it and play something, so you do.

"What are you doing, John?" Jade asks when you sit down on the bench, and you turn towards her.

"I'm going to play piano."

"You play piano?"

"I used to play it all the time, when no one was around to watch me."

You turn back towards the old, faded piano and lift the wood hanging over the keys, cracking your knuckles before you settle down your fingers onto the keys. You play the first thing that appears in your mind, because you can't remember jack shit about people but music . . . music you can remember. And your fingers slowly begin to pluck out the first few notes, and god is this piano out of tune but you love it nonetheless. Your fingertips slide across those keys gracefully with trills and legatos and crescendos and decrescendos. Your eyes are closed the entire time as you play it, because you know you practiced this very song to death when you were younger that your fingers have memorized each and every movement to the very tee. You breathe the notes in and out of you and Jade stands to the side, patiently watching and listening to you as you play each note carefully. It's a peaceful song, really, but it had always been your favorite. You pluck the last few notes and then end the song, and a small clapping is heard behind you.

"That was beautiful, John," Jade says with a smile, and you notice her eyes are brimming with tears. "I just . . . _wow_."

"Thanks," you smile back at her, closing the piano and rising from the bench. "It felt nice to play again. It's sort of . . . comforting."

"I bet. Why didn't you show us ever when we were here?"

"Well, I sort of put it to the side when Jane had died, but when we got here and I saw it sitting in the corner all dusty and whatnot, I had to play it. It was really something I saved for myself."

"I understand," she tells you, wiping the tears from her eyes before tugging on your arm. "Now let's get out of here. I think I've seen enough." You follow Jade the rest of the way out, back through the overgrowth pathway and out into the open once again. Jade gives it sort of a wave goodbye, as if the camp were an animated, living thing that was going to do the same back, then turns, heading down the road.

"So, where exactly are we going now? I mean, if you have some sort of a plan I'm open to hearing it, but . . . " you ask. Jade stops, biting her lip.

"I know where I want to go, but I know where we need to go."

"Where do we need to go?"

"We need to take down that last place where they're harboring women," she tells you, and you nod your head in agreement.

"That's probably the best idea."

"But we need weapons, and neither of us have any right now."

"I have one that I left at that place I brought you to. It's just a gun, so you can use it, but I need a hammer. Specifically, a sledgehammer. I lost my old one when I was rescuing you." Jade stops in her tracks all of a sudden, and you try to analyze what you said to see if you said something wrong or something, but then she takes off to the side of the road. You watch her with concern as she falls to her knees, leaning over and retching into the grass. You jog over to her, making sure she's okay.

"Holy shit, are you doing okay?"

"Yeah," she mumbles weakly, wiping off her mouth with her sleeve. "I just haven't been doing so well as of late. I'll be fine, though. It's just some weird stomach bug." You hear a hint of alarm in her voice, so you're not so convinced, but you still help her back up to her feet, tucking her hair out of her face.

"Here, why don't we just go rest a bit once we return to that house--"

"No! We've got to get a move on," Jade insists. "We need to be quick about this. It needs to happen _now_." You don't press the issue any further after that, the two of you walking back onto the road together. You make sure to keep an eye on her as you prepare yourself for taking down one more building, with help this time. There's a shared silence between the two of you until you hear her mutter,

"If we ever see Dave again, don't tell him what you saw. I don't want to worry him."

"No problem."

 

**Dave: Find Rose.**

 

"Okay, Rose, so it looks like we have a change of plans. Apparently someone already lit up the Birches joint so now it's just Carter's left. I think we'll need to--" You stop when you notice your sister sitting in front of a small mirror, scissors in hand as she stares at you.

"I needed a haircut." 

"So, you just decided you needed a haircut now?" She stares back at you blankly, and you get a hunch as to why she wants to. "Oh, I see what's going on," you smirk. "You're gussying yourself up for your nerdy reunion with Egdork. That's cute."

"Shut up," Rose hisses.

"Look, Rose, you don't need to cut your hair for him. You'll be fine." She twists her mouth the side like she's uncertain about that statement, but still ponders it in her mind.

"You really think he'll still remember me? I mean, I look a lot different and--" she starts to ramble, but you stop her.

"You'll be fine, trust me. Jade doesn't wear glasses anymore and I was still able to recognize her. It should be a piece of cake for him." She offers you a tiny smile after considering it for a moment, and you smile back at her before returning to your original conversation.

"Anyway, I was going to say that we need to change routes, since Birches already got the shit torched out of them. I'm gonna bet more than anything that we might meet our two dweebs at the last place."

"And the rest of my girls," Rose agrees, standing up from the ground. "Alright, we'll pack up right away and continue moving. I'll take a look at the map and figure out how to change our path." She waves you off then, and you make your way back to your own tent, gathering up your things in order to prepare leaving. You take the green sweater off of your bed and tuck it back into it's backpack, thankful that Rose never caught you with it. You liked to keep it next to you at night because it comforted you. It's been hard getting to sleep, needless to say.

You grab your two bags and set them outside the tent, along with the case for your katana ( _Thank fucking god Rose had found it_ ) and then take down the rest of the tent, placing it back in it's original carrying case. You're so glad that Rose has so many people around to help out with carrying things, because you would not be able to hold two bags, a tent, and a katana and survive. You pick up your things and then face the rest of the group who are busy doing the same.

"You ready to go, Dave?" you hear Rose ask as she appears beside you.

"Hell yeah," you breathe, and suddenly your head is filled with the reminder of a pair of bright moss eyes and your dorky best friend who you haven't seen in over five years. You were more than ready.

 

**Rose: Keep yourself composed.**

 

Okay, so maybe you cutting your hair was a bad idea, and you're thankful Dave stopped you. You just wanted John to recognize you, though. You missed him an awful lot, and you weren't sure what might happen when you first see him again. You hadn't thought much about what you'd do or say if you saw Dave or Jade or John again in the first place, and so when Dave came along it made you think a lot about that.

On the flip side, you're excited to see Jade again, too. She was one of your best friends, and having her and the boys back together in one location would be a big relief, and you could only imagine Dave felt the same. The four of you had been separated for too long and it was just about time you broke that streak.

"You thinkin' about seeing them again?" Dave asks you, appearing by your side.

"Yeah," you admit. "How'd you fare when you saw Jade again the first time?"

"I was an absolute wreck, and it was the best feeling in the world. You never really know how those sorts of situations are going to go down, but when they do, it's the best fucking thing in the world."

"Good. I was hoping you might say something like that."

You were already very close to the last place where the women were being held hostage, Carter's. You didn't know if you'd spot John and Jade there getting ready to take it down, or maybe they'd already taken it down. Either way, you were praying that you would see them again, for your sake and for Dave's. You don't think Dave can really handle being apart from Jade again. Once was already enough for him.

"There it is," Dave points to the absolutely gigantic building. You notice that it's heavily guarded and that it would definitely be harder to take down, it being made of concrete and all. These guys were smarter than the last two, you could only guess, and it was going to take a lot of planning to figure out how to go about this.

You pull the group into an area in the trees right beside the front gates, prompting everyone to ditch their tents and other various bags. You instruct them to arm themselves with the things you provided: crow bars, old rusty knives, baseball bats, etc. You know that these guys have the big guns, but you had intelligence and cunning on your side, and you were determined. The rest of your healers were in there, and you were not about to let them suffer any longer. You then guide the group to the front gates, getting a good look at the area to see what you're working with.

"Well, it looks like they've been using a prison," you note aloud. "They've been pretty smart this time."

"I heard that Brannigan's and Birches' were both instituted after Carter's, sort of like copy cats, in a way," Penelope says from behind you.

"Copy cats that they kept in contact with," you mutter. "Well, does anyone have any ideas?"

"We might be able to offer a few," a voice emerges from behind the group. You turn around to look at who it is, and when people begin to step aside you see a familiar pair of tired green eyes greeting you happily. You look over and see that Dave's finally noticed her, and she him. They both rush to each other, embracing one another as Dave picks her up and spins her before kissing her passionately. You notice someone push his way through, and although he's a lot different than you remember, he's still the same old John Egbert you know and love to death. He stops in his tracks when he spots you, his eyes widening.

"Hey stranger," you breathe, your heart beating so fast that it's practically leaping out of your chest. He smiles softly, his cyan eyes gazing at yours longingly.

"Hey stranger," he echoes back, and without any further thought you're running to him and embracing him tightly, your face nuzzled into his shoulder.

"I missed you so much," you sob, still pressed against him.

"I missed you a lot, too," he says, before adding, " _Rose_." You suddenly throw all your inhibitions out the window, because fuck it, you love John so much and no amount of time could ever change that. You lean back to look at him again before cupping his face, pulling his lips onto yours. His lips are rough and he pulls you closer to him, nibbling the bottom of your lip affectionately. You're practically putty in his hands, and you would continue to kiss him save for the fact that you're already in the middle of a life or death situation. You pull away from him but hold onto his biceps for a second, staring into his eyes with intense yearning. John reaches over and messes with the long locks of your hair.

"So those guys kissed right away when they met?!" you hear Dave exclaim from beside you.

"Uh, yeah," you turn to him, a brow raised. "You didn't?" You notice Dave and Jade exchange glances with each other before looking back over at you.

" . . . Let's just get back to taking this hellhole down," Dave says changing topics.

"Right," you agree, letting John go. "So, you guys said you had ideas?"

"Oh, yes!" Jade exclaims. "We've been scoping out this place all day. Obviously it's an old prison but it doesn't have the security measures like it used to. So we snuck in already and looted their gun supply."

"Good girl," Dave smirks, ruffling her hair.

"Basically, the plan is simple," John takes control of the conversation this time, "We're just gonna shoot the place up."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard get said," Dave says.

"Yes, I do have to agree with Dave. It's a rather reckless plan, don't you think?" Jade shrugs.

"I mean, they don't have any of their weapons anymore, only the ones they already have are the ones in their hands. We don't have much of a choice otherwise."

"Besides, it wouldn't be all of us shooting at them. We just need some people to make a distraction while the rest of us sneak inside. I think it'll take like ten minutes or so just to get everyone out. It's especially easier because the metal fence is rusted in several areas and we can slip in and out with ease," John continues.

"Well, that sounds like a more solid plan than what you first said. I'm in, you just need to tell us what we need to do," you tell him, and the rest of the group murmurs in agreement.

"Alright then, here's what we'll have to do: Jade and I already know the place, so we'll take about ten to fifteen volunteers to sneak inside with us. Dave and Rose are going to stick behind and keep the guys distracted out front as best as they can. Like I said, it'll take us about ten minutes, so you'll have to hold them off for that long, but we should be in and out easy," John elaborates, and Dave immediately butts in.

"Oh no, I am _not_ going anywhere without Jade."

"Dave, it's alright, I'll be fine," she attempts to reassure him, but he shakes his head.

"No way. You've been there the last billion times shit like this has happened to us. It happens way too fucking much to make me comfortable, and I am not about to leave your side now."

"Dave, let her go with John. He'll make sure she stays safe, you'll just have to trust him," you tell your brother, and you know he wants to keep debating the matter but he refrains, pursing his lips to show that he's still pissed off about the matter.

"Okay, who wants to come with us? We need about ten to fifteen people to go inside," John asks, and easily there are fifteen people ready to go with them. "We have some guns waiting over there behind one of the rocks, if you guys would rather use those as weapons."

"Yes, it'd be very much appreciated," you say, and quickly everyone goes to the side to retrieve some guns in exchange for their baseball bats and crowbars. When that's done, you get ready to split off from each other, departing quickly with John and Jade once again.

"You be safe, okay? I'm not about to lose you again," Dave tells Jade, cupping her face with his hands. She nods her head, smiling at him as he kisses her forehead delicately. John grabs you by the wrist and pulls you over to him, and once again you see that toothy grin you missed so dearly.

"I know we haven't got much time, and there's not enough time for me to explain my past five years to you, but I want you to know that I haven't had any of my memories for quite a long time."

"What?" you ask, furrowing your brows.

"I lost my memories awhile ago some how, but that's not the point. The point that I wanted to tell you is, when I still didn't remember anything or anyone, I had these recurring dreams about this girl with golden blonde hair and that got me through it, really. And I still didn't remember much before I came here and saw you but right away I knew who you were, and then your name was in my mind and it was all I could remember, because you're so important to me. I love you, Rose," he finishes explaining, placing his hand on the side of your face. You hold onto it, sighing.

"I love you too, John." You lean in and give him a quick peck before stepping back, holding onto his hand just for a moment longer. "You better get out of this alive, Egbert, or else I'm going to be furious with you."

"I don't doubt you would," he chuckles, and you release your hand from his, walking away to join the rest of your team, preparing to take down this joint once and for all.

 

**Jade: Help people in through the window.**

 

"Is that everyone?" you whisper down to John.

"Yeah, now lift me up!" He extends his hands out to you and you try to lift him, which proves to be a lot more difficult than you thought it would be. John's put on so much muscle weight that it's harder for you to lift him up than it would've been if he were like his eighteen year-old self. You still manage to get him inside, and now all seventeen of you are crammed into a supply closet. You hear bullets ring through the air outside, so you assume Dave and Rose's distraction is happening at the moment. You open the door of the supply closet and peer around the corner, checking to see if the coast is clear.

"We're good to go," you tell John, but he's not paying attention. "John?"

"Hold on, I'm trying to think of how we're going to take care of this place. Does anyone know how to make a bomb?" he asks.

"Oh, come on, John, no one's gonna--" you begin, but you're cut off by someone from the group.

"I do," a girl chimes in, raising her hand.

"You do?" John looks over at her.

"Yup."

"Well, if you can make a bomb while we go get the rest of the ladies out of here, we'll be good to go!"

"On it."

She shuffles around the closet while you stick your head back out the door before slipping out of it, everyone else following behind. You send some people to go up to the next floor while you search for the little office where the automatic lock button is hiding. You find it along with a guy sitting inside, eating what you can only presume to be stale doughnuts. You knock him out with the butt of your gun immediately and press the button, opening up all the doors in the prison. You lean back out of the office and watch as women file down and out through the supply closet door. 

"Hey, what the fuck do you think you're doing?!"  _Shit._

"John, you get them out! I'll hold them off!" John obeys your instructions and moves faster while you aim your gun at the man and shoot. He shoots back at you and the both of you are able to dodge the other's bullets easily. You gain a direct hit on him and he falls to the ground, but not before you feel a sharp, stinging pain. You check down at your side to see the the bullet only  _just_ missed you, but grazed you enough to do damage.

_Shit that's a lot of blood._

You frantically search the office for any sort of fabric or something, and you're able to locate a med kit. It's nowhere near what kind of medical attention you need, but it's enough to hold you up for the moment.

"Jade, are you coming?" You hear John's shouts from the other room and you quickly kick aside any evidence that you've hurt yourself.

"I'm here. Everyone out?" you ask John as you join his side once again.

"Yup, everyone's out." He turns towards the girl on bomb duty. "Hey, do you have the bomb ready?"

"Yessir. The whole thing's ready to blow, on my mark," she answers him.

"On your mark?"

"Yeah, I have to be the one to set it off," she tells him nonchalantly.

"But that means--" John tries to protest, but the girl simply shakes her head.

"I'll be fine. You need to get everyone out of here and out of the perimeter. I'll wait as long as I can, but as soon as I'm sure everyone's out, then I'm going to set it off." John frowns but doesn't press the matter any further, only saluting her.

"Thank you so much." You nod at her as you pass her by on the way to the window, looking down below.

"You wanna head down first?" you gesture below to him.

"Nah, I'll let you go down first." You oblige as you peer out down the window, dropping your weapon on the ground before you jump out the window yourself, landing on your own two feet with a _thud_. You step out of the way and John jumps out after you the same way, grabbing his weapon when he's gained balance back on his two feet.

"Alright, you wanna go help Rose and Dave out while I help get the others out?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea. We'll head towards you when we're able to get out," you agree with him.

"Good luck."

"Good luck."

John departs from you, making his way out through the hole in the rusted fence. You make your way to the front of the establishment where Rose and Dave are still trying to hold it on their own with the few remaining people on their side and the considerable amount of people on the opposing side. You start shooting your own weapon as you dodge flying bullets, making your way to Dave's side.

"Jesus Christ, Harley, are you trying to get yourself killed?!" he exclaims without averting his attention.

"Only trying to tell you that we need to get the fuck out of dodge, sweetheart," you smile back, hitting someone directly in the chest. "We've got a bomb set to go off."

"Holy shit," he breathes.

"Did someone say something about a bomb?" Rose asks as she appears by Dave's side.

"Yeah, we need to get out of here," you reiterate, and she turns her head towards the group as you and Dave cover her.

"FALL BACK!" she shouts, and everyone acquiesces, departing back out the gate as the three of you move as quickly out of the way as possible. Dave remains behind you in order to keep you guarded, but you make it out alright after a sizable amount of distance is placed between the prison and your group. You lean onto your knees in order to catch your breath, and suddenly an explosion is heard in the distance, a big wind sweeping overhead as you're nearly knocked off your feet.

"Gotcha," Dave says as he holds onto your elbow, keeping you balanced. You notice John waiting up ahead with the rest of the group and you meet up with him, grinning widely.

"We did it," you pat him on the back.

"Hell yeah, we did," he smiles.

"Alright, I hate to be a wet blanket and break up this wonderful moment, but we've gotta get the fuck out of dodge. We are way overdue for returning to base, and this little lady's got a vaccine to create," Dave interrupts the two of you.

"Okay, let's go kick some virus ass now," Rose chimes in, and suddenly all feels wonderful and complete as it should be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're in the homestretch! If you're curious, the song John plays on the piano is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E6b3swbnWg.  
> As always, keep reading, and kudos and comments are always appreciated! :)


	31. Chapter 31

**John: Be interrogated by Dave.**

 

"So Egbert, are you gonna make an honest woman out of my sister?" The tall blond pokes at the campfire with a stick, the four of you huddled around it. You shoot him a dirty look.

"Uh, is that really any of your business?" He takes the stick back out of the fire and points it in your general direction, the end of it lit aflame.

"You need to loosen up."

"Dave, I told you already! He's still trying to recover his memory." Your cousin Jade swats at his arm, and something tells you that's not the first time that's happened to him, and it certainly won't be the last.

"Right, sorry," he apologizes to you before turning towards Jade with a big smirk across his face. You can she's still irritated with him but quickly forgives him, leaning in to give him a chaste kiss. You glance over at Rose who is also prodding at the fire with a stick.

"Do I get kisses like that when I apologize about stuff?" She looks up at you, her face placid.

"No." She gives you a tiny grin afterward and you smile back at her.

"Uh, John? Can we go take a walk?" you hear Jade pipe up, breaking your small moment you're having with Rose.

"Oh, sure." You get up from the ground and Rose reaches into a bag and tosses you something.

"If you two are gonna go out there at least take a flashlight. I don't want you to not see any creepy creatures of the night and get eaten before we've even had a good reunion."

"Yeah, grab your gun, Jade. I'd rather you kick some zombie ass than they kick your own ass."

"Of course, Mom," she jests but does as he says, grabbing her gun off the ground nearby. You turn on the flashlight and follow behind her as she plunges further into the forest, the light of the campfire disappearing from view. She halts all of a sudden, thrusting the gun at you as she hunches over and vomits into the brush.

"God, I wish this would stop," she groans before retching some more.

"Are you certain you're okay, Jade? I mean, I know you don't want me prying or anything--" She spins around, coming into the light of the flashlight you're holding. She wipes her arm across her mouth, and you see clear as day that she does _not look good._

"I don't know," she tells you, her lip trembling. "I thought I had this under control but I don't, and that _scares me_. I just need you to promise me something."

"I dunno, Jade . . . " you trail, but her moss eyes are dead set on yours, pleading.

"Promise me that you won't let Rose know and _especially_ not Dave. I can figure it out when we get back to the sector, but for now I need you to help me hide it. Can you do both of those things?" You really don't want to keep something like that from both of them, but you honor her wishes regardless.

"I promise you."

 

**Rose: Have a fireside chat with your brother.**

 

"So, have you noticed that Jade's been acting a little strange?"

"Jade's always been strange, Rose," Dave disregards you, messing with the fire.

"No, I mean since we left to return to wherever it is you two reside. She seems awfully shifty." Dave remains unphased by the statement.

"She'd tell me if there was something up with her."

"Alright, but I'd be wary if I were you."

"There's nothing to worry about."

"I'm not saying that there is. I'm just saying to be careful and watch out for her. If I know Jade, as much as she is open, she still likes to remain a closed book on matters that seem urgent enough to her. Just watch out for her, okay?"

"Okay, I will. You don't think I didn't already promise myself that I would?"

"Promise yourself what?" You cease conversation as Jade and John return, Jade plopping down right next to Dave and John right next to you.

"I already promised myself that I'm more than ready to use my kickass sword Rose was able to recover a long while ago," he lies to her. "I'm still hella pumped about that."

"She found your sword?"

"Yeah, I found it before I left the camp. Helped me get through quite an armada of the Flesh, I'll tell you that. It's also much more effective than kitchen knives," you tell her.

"I bet. Oh, that reminds me. John and I went back there!" Jade exclaims.

"Back where?"

"To the camp!" You glance over at John with a look that says " _why didn't you tell me this_ ", and he just shrugs.

"Shit, no way! What was it like?" Dave asks.

"Creepy, damp, a little melancholy. Helped refresh my memories a bit, to say the least," John chuckles.

"It just felt weird, returning back there. I guess a lot of what's happened just feels so surreal to me. One day I'm sitting on the sandy shores of an island, then I blink and I'm sitting around a campfire and about ten years have passed. It's just strange," Jade says. "It really was just barren and empty, no signs of the people who were once there."

"Do you really think we could have survived there? I mean, you look at the kind of places we all ended up and it seems like there is no way that place would have been sustained," you tell them, drawing your legs up against your chest.

"Well, we're here now and we're all together and that's some awesome shit right there," Dave grins, tossing his stick into the fire. "And we're going to go back there and Jade's gonna fix everyone and it'll be like nothing ever happened." You smile along with Jade and John at your brother's statement, but something about it just doesn't seem like it'll be that way. No, you're positive it'll be like everything happened, but in the end, that'll be much, _much_ better.

 

**Dave: Return.**

 

"It's me, Jade Harley."

"I'm not sure if I'm authorized to let you in, Ms. Harley."

"Okay, can you just shut the fuck up and let me in, Carlos? I have the supplies, and I know it's been longer than expected but I highly doubt the vaccine been made. Just let me in, Carlos! I got a fuckton of people who just want to get some rest!"

" . . . Standby."

The gates of the sector suddenly shift open, allowing all of you inside. There are soldiers there to greet you, some of your old military buddies. They help all the healers from Rose's group while the four of you take off towards the laboratory, gaining instant access once you're inside. Jade ushers all of you into her little office as she plops herself down into her rolling chair, shifting around papers as she recollects her thoughts.

"Hey, Jade!" Jake greets her as he steps into the office, quieting down once he sees Rose and John as well. "Uh, are these guests of yours?"

"Yeah, this is Rose and John. Rose and John, meet Jake." Jade doesn't break her intense concentration and all of you watch her with interest for a few minutes until she pops back up from her chair, holding up a folder full of assorted papers.

"Alright, let's go make ourselves a vaccine! Come on, Dave, you'll go with me. John and Rose, you can wait out in the lobby at one of the couches while we work." The two nod in response and she gives them directions, ushering them down the hallway. She returns back to Jake and shares what's in the folder with him while you stand idly by, waiting for further instructions.

"This looks like it'll work perfectly. I think if we get started on it right away we'll be able to have some sort of solid thing done in no time. I'll get several other people on it while you start one up. There should be several extractions in the icebox already," Jake says, Jade disappears in a flash, heading into a different room. Jake waves goodbye to you as he takes down the hallway, and Jade reappears again with several packages of blood.

"Can you do me a favor and visit the supply closet and get some small tubes that sort of look like this?" she asks you once you're back in her office, picking up a tube off the counter.

"Yeah, can do. Where is it?" Jade points down the hallway and you follow her instructions, finding the closet like she said. You flick the switch and the room becomes illuminated. It takes you a moment to locate the whereabouts of the tubes, but eventually you find a box full of them. You take the whole thing with you and turn the light off on your way out, returning to Jade's side.

"I got your tubes," you tell her, handing her the box.

"Okay, good. Now this is the boring part, so if you want to go sit with Rose and John, you can--"

"No," you cut her off, "I'm staying here with you." She grins and points over at her rolling chair for you to sit down. You do as she says, leaning the side of your face onto your arm as you watch her move back and forth rhythmically, your eyelids growing heavy . . . . .

 

~

 

Your eyes jerk open, and when you take a look at the clock several hours have passed. You notice Jade still working at the same pace she had been before, looking under a microscope as she mutters things to herself, writing them down as she does so.

"Need any help, Jade?" you ask her, and she shakes her head without turning to look at you.

"No, not right now. I'm waiting on these vials of DNA to synthesize while I check out the cells of this virus. It's really incredible . . . " She shifts back into her scientist mode completely, focusing on the work in front of her. 

"Alright, well, I'm gonna go get some coffee from the break room. I'll be back." She mutters something in acknowledgement to your statement and you chuckle, exiting the room to go turn on the coffee pot. You fill the coffee maker up with water and then replace the old filter, putting some coffee inside and then pressing the brew button afterward. You reach into one of the cupboards and pull out a mug ( _World's #1 Scientist_ ) and wait. When it's done you pour yourself a cup and put a couple packets of sugar and creamer in it and then walk back to Jade's office.

You drop your mug entirely when you see Jade lying on the floor, unconscious.

"Jade? Jade, come on, babe! Wake up! Jade?!" You pat her cheeks and try to get her up, but she remains still. You notice a spot of red on her side, and you reach over to see what it is.

_Blood._

Your heart starts racing and you run out to the hallway, looking it up and down to see if anyone's there. When no one appears into your view you decide to leave Jade for a moment, going down to the end of the hallway and pushing open the double doors, facing an arsenal of scientists hurrying about.

"Hey there, Dave! Everything alright? You're not really supposed to be in here," Jake greets you.

"Dude, it's Jade. She's passed out on the ground and not moving at all," you announce, your voice strained. "And she's bleeding." Immediately most if not all of the people in the room stop what they're doing, and Jake's smile drops.

"What?"

"She's not moving at all, man! I don't know what's wrong with her." He bites his lip as he stops what he's doing, putting down his clipboard and taking off his gloves so that he can go with you. You make your way out the doors again and to Jade's office, and he tends to her immediately, pressing his fingers into her neck.

"Well, I still have a heartbeat, but it's not regular. I'm not sure what's wrong, but it doesn't seem good." You feel the color drain from your face as your heart sinks in your chest.

"W-what? You can fix this, right?" He looks up at you, his hazel eyes solemn.

"I'm going to need you to leave, Mr. Strider," he informs you before extracting a walkie talkie from his pocket, pressing a button in order to talk. "Code Yellow. This is Jake H. in the Harley office and I need some help. I'm gonna need someone to quarantine Miss Harley immediately. This is not a drill." He puts the walkie talkie back into his pocket, rising up to meet your level. "Mr. Strider, I told you that you need to leave."

"No fucking way! I'm not leaving her side!" you insist, but he shakes his head.

"You need to leave." You curl your fists and stand your ground.

" _No._ " He grimaces at you and pulls his walkie talkie out a second time, pressing a button.

"This is also a code 912. That's a code 912." He places it back into his pocket as he remains in front of Jade, shielding her from you. "Come on, Dave, just go sit out in the lobby. We'll take care of her, I promise."

"I'm not doing shit," you growl, folding your arms across your chest. "She's my fiance and I have every right to--" you try to continue, but something is plunged into your neck all of a sudden, and the lights begin to dim from your sight as everything goes dark . . .

 

**Dave: Wake up.**

 

"Ugh, what the fuck happened?" You grip your head, a splitting headache ringing throughout your brain.

"It's about damn time you got up. I was tired of having you sleep on my legs," you hear Rose's voice, and suddenly her violet eyes come into view above you.

"Where are we, Rose?" She helps you sit up in your chair and you notice that John is beside her, the same exhausted look on his face.

"We're in the lobby, waiting." You suddenly remember what was going on before you blacked out, causing you to jolt upright out of your chair.

"Where's Jade? I need to get to her!" you exclaim, but Rose pulls you back down.

"She's fine, Dave. They're keeping her quarantined for right now, but they promised they'd keep us updated with how she's doing." You're quiet for a second as you study your shoes, your mind still buzzing.

" . . . Is she really going to be okay?" Rose chuckles a bit as she reaches over to ruffle your hair a bit.

"Jade's a tough girl. She'll make it, I'm sure of it."

"And then you can make an honest woman out of her," John chimes in.

"Whoa, Egbert, I forgot you were there," you tell him, genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, yeah, so are you going to make an honest woman out of her or am I going to have to shoot you off my property?"

"Don't mind him, he's only trying to gain his funny bone back. It's a lame attempt," Rose rolls her eyes at him.

"No, that's John's whole being. He's lame at everything," you quip, earning a goofy smile from John. "Very funny, ha ha. Except that you're not funny at all."

"Why did we become friends again?" he asks, and you smirk back at him. This sort of familiarity feels good to you, comfortable, even.

"So it's really gonna be awhile, huh?" you wonder aloud, and Rose pats your back reassuringly, rubbing it gently afterward.

"Not too long. We just have to wait while they run some tests and figure out what's up. Hopefully it's not anything, but they are working on the vaccine, so if it's what's been going around then she'll be right as rain soon. In the meantime, however, they provided us with some board games, which I insist we play. While Chutes and Ladders is very tempting, I was thinking Candyland would be a good contender, as well. Or, if we want to really pass the time, Monopoly is always there for us." You smile at her.

"Candyland it is." John removes all the old magazines from the coffee table in front of you while Rose sets up the board.

Your mind still drifts back to Jade, and you just hope that she'll be alright. The two of you have been through too much for you to just lose her like this. You needed Jade Harley in your life more than anything, and John and Rose needed her, too. You were a family, a family that's been to hell and back again and been separated on more occasions than one and yet are always able to find each other in the end. You were going to spend the rest of your life with this girl, you were certain of it. You were more than ready to just crawl into a cozy bed with her and just keep her held to you as you share warmth, but fate had another plan. You hope that Rose is right. You've always known Jade to be tough, you just also know that shit happens. You'd do anything to make sure she stays alive, even if it meant giving her one of your organs. Jade Harley was so fucking important, and she was going to live, one way or another. You were determined to make that happen.

"Are you playing, Dave?" Rose's mind cuts back into your conscious.

"Oh, yeah," you mutter, removing yourself from the chair and onto the floor. "Let's do this bitch."

 

TWO WEEKS LATER.

 

**Jade: Get a checkup.**

 

"Okay, Miss Harley, you should be good to go today. I would suggest getting plenty of rest for quite a few days. I know this past month has been plenty hectic for you, so I'd like you to cut the stress to a minimum. Here are some vitamins and other meds to take," Dr. Gilbert hands you a couple of bottles of pills, "And remember to get a balanced diet and get at least nine hours of sleep per day. Otherwise, just come back here every month or so for another checkup, unless you have any other problems." Dr. Gilbert departs from your room, leaving you alone to the smell of cleaning supplies and latex.

You slide off of your bed, tossing the covers off the side as you make your way over to the hook on the wall, pulling on your brown robe over your matching set of plaid pajamas. You tie the string into a bow and then slip on your black slippers, stretching your arms above you afterward. You weren't able to move from the bed much for the last two weeks, save for using the bathroom. You take the pill bottles the doctor gave you and place them into your pocket, feeling a surge of excitement go through your system. You were more than ready to go see John and Rose and Dave again, and they were more than ready to see you, the doctor said. Speak of the devils . . .

Dave, John, and Rose come bursting in, each of them holding various plants.

"There she is! I knew she was gonna be alright. I don't see what you were worried about, Rose," Dave nags his sister, and she shoots him a dirty look before turning back towards you.

"Well, traditionally when someone's been feeling under the weather people bring them balloons and stuffed animals, but we know you're not exactly an orthodox sort of person, so we brought you potted plants." Each of them set the plants down on the counter in the room.

"Okay, so I think it's about time we-- _oof!_ " When Dave starts to open his arms you run into him, tackling him with a big hug that almost knocks him over. "Geez, Harley, you act like you missed me or something."

"That's because I did,  _stupid_ ," you tease, but then both of you sober up and he nuzzles his face into the crook of your neck.

"God you had me worried. Don't ever do that again, okay? Scaring a man shitless is not a fun time, let me tell you."

"I won't, Dave," you chuckle.

"I love you Jade Harley," he whispers this time so only you can hear, "I love you, I love you, I love you, _I love you._ "

"I love you too, Dave." He breaks the hug a minute later and you notice a tear rolling down his cheek. You reach up and gently rub it away with the sleeve of your robe, smiling softly at him.

"You need to stop giving us a scare, Jade! I'm offended that you never told us you got shot. Do you know how easy that is to fix for us?" Rose asks as she hugs you.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry," you apologize, and John takes his turn and embraces you.

"You better be. I don't know who would replace you as my replacement replacement sister. I'd have to hold auditions! Hey Rose, do you know if any of your healers are about this tall with black hair and blue or green eyes?" Rose reaches over and hits John on the arm, and everything feels normal again.

"Oh shit, I forgot. The doc said you'd been exhibiting flu-like symptoms and John also confirmed that you had been for awhile," Dave glares at John who retreats back like a puppy, "What was that all about? Are you still sick or are you the first known survivor of zombie flu?" You gasp a little when you remember that you still hadn't told them what was up with that. You feel your stomach flip flop, and for a moment you think you might have to barf but you know this flip flop is only because of the butterflies in your stomach. 

"Yeah, about that . . . You might wanna sit down for this one," you tell Dave, and he furrows his eyebrows.

"Wait, you're not seriously sick, are you? Please don't bring me down again, Harley. I can't deal with this rollercoaster of emotions rolling about." You take his hand in yours and tighten your fingers around it, shaking your head.

"No no, it's not that. It's good news. At least, I hope it's good news for you, too. It is for me," you smile at him.

"This will be fun. We should set a timer to see how long it takes Dave to figure it out," Rose comments, and Dave looks over at her.

"You know already?!" 

"Yeah, I'm with him. You know?" you ask her.

"It was easy to figure out, context clues and all. I'll let you do the talking, though." Dave looks back at you, his eyebrows raised this time.

"Okay, what is it? I'm not sure what I should be expecting . . . " You give him a moment to think about but then he drops his mouth when he's realized it, turning back to you. "Wait, seriously?"

"Uh huh," you nod your head at him. 

"Can everyone stop talking in code?! What is the big news?!" John exclaims from across the room.

"You idiot, she's pregnant," Dave remarks. "And I'm gonna be a dad." He falter his last few words and you notice him start to wobble. You stick your arms out for support.

"You okay with that?" you ask him. 

"Hell yeah," he smirks, but you notice the color drain from his face.

"Sweet! I can't wait to be this kid's estranged uncle who only visits on really weird holidays like Arbor Day or National Taco Day or something like that," John says.

"Wait, aren't you going to stay here with us? You'd get to visit all the time!" you tell him.

"Looks like the cat is out of the bag. We were planning on leaving really soon. John and I like travelling, and we were thinking about starting a new healer group. Then we're going to head up north," Rose explains.

"Well, you can stay for a little bit, right? I want our kid to be able to meet their aunt and uncle!" you grin at her.

"I suppose we can stay for a while. It wouldn't hurt, right?" 

"Yippee!" you exclaim, letting go Dave in order to clap your hands. You hear a  _thud_ and look over to see that Dave's fainted on the ground.

"This man is going to become a father," Rose remarks, and you snort, feeling your chest fill with absolute euphoria. You think you can make it in this world, after all.

Not bad, Harley. Not bad at all.

 

~.~

 

TWO YEARS LATER.

 

"Aw, doesn't she look just cute? I told you she'd look adorable in that outfit," you tell Dave as he enters the bedroom. He pauses, taking a long look at your daughter before stating,

"She looks like a fucking marshmallow." You gasp, covering her ears.

"Language, Mr. Strider! You don't want to be a bad influence on our daughter!"

"I'm not going to be a bad influence on her, _Mrs. Harley_. It's not like Olivia can fucking understand anyway. She's not even potty trained," Dave tells you, folding his arms across his chest.

"You are a terrible father."

"Yeah, I know," he says, but then smirks, leaning in to kiss you. He pulls you close against his chest, sweeping your long hair out of your face as he leans deeper into the kiss. He still wears his silly shades, and now that you don your coke-bottle glasses once again they hit up against each other, but it feels so natural to you now that you'd feel a lack without it. You suddenly remember your child resting on the bed and you push his chest away gently, but not before he steals one last kiss in the end, smiling at you endearingly. You put on Olivia's shoes then, tossing her in the air afterward. She begins to giggle, her wide smile almost reminiscent of yours. Her hair and eyes are much like her father's, but her smile is definitely yours.

"Man, we have the cutest child in the whole goddamn world," Dave states, watching the two of you.

"She really is," you agree, settling her back in your arms. "It's because we are probably the best looking parents in the world."

"You've got that right, baby. No other set of parents got the looks to kill like us." Dave pauses then to check his watch sitting on his wrist. "Looks like we should get going. They aren't going to wait for us forever."

"Do they have to leave already? I wish they wouldn't go."

"Well, if I had to guess it would be the fact that those two are actually an old couple and are having their midlife crisis right now. I can just picture it: Rose's hot flashes and constant mood swings drive John insane while John's snoring and lack of teeth take away the appeal of the entire relationship altogether. They finally decide that they need to travel the world in search of enlightenment and to rekindle their sexual fire."

"Ew, knock it off Dave," you laugh, handing him Olivia's backpack to carry on his shoulders before you exit your apartment. You lock it behind you once you're out and then proceed to walk to the gate where your two friends are waiting patiently. When you approach them they're in mid-conversation, ceasing only after they spot you.

"Morning, you two," Rose greets, chipper.

"Aw, doesn't Liv just look adorable!" John exclaims, taking Olivia from your hands.

"God, I am still so fucking mad that he tricked us into naming her that," Dave groans.

"What? I think Liv Tyler is a beautiful name for a baby, isn't that right, Liv?" John asks her, cooing and making faces.

"First of all, it's _Olivia_ Tyler, and second of all, you're right. It's a fucking great name. I hate you John," Dave quips, but John only continues to grin, bouncing Olivia in his arms.

"So, are you two ready to go? You've got a long journey ahead of you," you ask them.

"Yes, I am more than ready to go. I always wanted to see if I could find my old group of healers, but then I realized that it might be worth it to create a new group," Rose muses.

"We'll miss you terribly," you grimace, and Rose pulls you into a hug, resting her chin on your shoulder.

"Well, I'll miss you the most, I think," she whispers before releasing you and turning to Dave. "Bro."

"Sis." The two twins stare at each other, and you can only guess that they're having some silent conversation that only twins can have before they begin embracing one another. "I'm gonna miss you and your stupid face and your annoying sarcastic comments."

"As will I miss your ironic nature and your colorful language, Dave. You're the best twin a girl can have." The two break away and it's John's turn to hug you and Dave. He hands Olivia off to Rose and then hugs Dave, patting his back.

"You're the best bro a guy can have," John smiles, his voice wavering a bit. "I'm gonna miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you too, man," Dave says, ceasing hugging him shortly after. "You take good care of my sister, you hear? She's one of the best people in the world." John nods his head and then turns to you, and you promised you wouldn't cry but the tears begin welling up in your eyes as he pulls you into a tight hug, practically knocking you over.

"You're the best cousin and sister ever. I'm so glad I got to see you again."

"You're so dumb," you sob into his shoulder. "And I'm glad I got to see you again so you could be the best cousin and brother to me. I'm happy to have someone like you in my life." You stop hugging after that and Rose hands Olivia back to you, who gurgles in response.

"Alright, get out of here you old so and so's," Dave says, waving them off. "You've overstayed your welcome."

"Okay, we will," Rose tells him as both she and John sling their backpacks on, approaching the gate and standing before it as it slides open. John takes Rose's hand in his as they wait for it to finish opening.

"Don't forget to come back and visit us!" you shout out to them.

"Okay!" they yell back, waving with wide smiles across their faces as they disappear down the path, starting their new journey together. The gate slides shut and you look over at Dave, who slides his thumb across your cheeks in order to flick away a tear.

"We better get this little lady back inside. We had to wake her up early in order to say goodbye to these two, and she could use a nap so that we don't have to fucking wake up in the middle of the night like every single goddamn day."

"I could use a nap too," you admit, turning to walk back towards your apartment.

"Then it's agreed. We are going to have a family nap so Olivia can get some rest and I can cuddle the hell out of you," he smirks, and you smile right back at him, leaning your head against his shoulder as he extends his arm around you. You think that it seems strange that you can just go sit in a household all of your own with your child and husband and not have to worry about zombies or anything getting to you. You're glad that you met Dave all those years ago, and you're more than glad that you get to share this life with him now.

Your name is Jade Harley, and you think that everything is going to be just alright.

 

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_When the higher hills have turned blue_

_And the waves are lapping where the children grew_

_All that we have known will be an echo_

_Of days when love was true_

_Muted voices just beyond_

_The silent surface of what has gone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow. Okay, jeez. I can't believe it's finished! That was a fun thing to write, and bonus points because it's also the longest thing I've written! To think, I started writing this thing in a notebook in my Latin class back in 2013 only to finally start it during the summer of 2014, and then finish it in 2015! That thing took a long while to write! :O  
> Anyway, thanks to everyone who read this and kept up with it! I really enjoyed writing this and I'm glad people liked it as much as I liked it! I've never been one for depressing endings, so even though I changed the plot of this quite a few times while writing it (it was originally supposed to be about twenty chapters or less), I still knew they were all going to be happy in the end! 
> 
> Bonus stuff:  
> -If you didn't notice, the order in which the characters appear at the beginning is reflected opposite to the final sub chapters (i.e. it's Jade, Dave, Rose, John, and then in the end it's John, Rose, Dave, and then Jade.)  
> -That quote in the end comes from the song "Take Us Back" by Alela Diane, which was originally going to be the title of the fic before I changed it (because I'm too fond of titling fics after songs)
> 
> Alrighty, again, thanks for reading this! I'll still be writing plenty more davejade fics because I am always writing them, so a new one could be in the works soon, so stay tuned for that. Otherwise, bye! :)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm about to vacation for a week starting tomorrow (church camp, no electronics) so I figured I'd leave this here. Just a short break before a return to hiatus land. I've been sitting on this idea for a while (it's literally been sitting in my documents folder on my laptop for about half of a year now) and then decided to rewrite it the other day. I intend to finish it, but I bear in mind that I have two other fics that I need to work on, as well. I hope you enjoy it, anyway! :)


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